Metuchen superintendent reports 18 SSDS incidents Jan–June; majority at Edgar

The Metuchen Board of Education received its required Student Safety Data System (SSDS) report for Period 2 (Jan. 1–June 30, 2025) at its July 22 meeting. Superintendent Doctor Caputo reported 18 total incidents districtwide: 13 at Edgar School and 5 at Metuchen High School.

The report categorizes incidents by type — including violence, vandalism, substances, weapons and incidents leading to removals — and shows that the district invoked the policy option sometimes described as "Option G" nine times in the reporting period (7 instances at Edgar; 2 at the high school). Doctor Caputo said the data and the presentation slides are posted on the district website under superintendent presentations.

Why it matters: The SSDS report is a statutory requirement and provides a public accounting of serious incidents and the district’s use of disciplinary or alternative procedural options. Doctor Caputo noted that most of the posted chart entries are zeros and that the district has historical SSDS data available on the website for context and comparison.

Board response and next steps: The report was informational and required by statute; no action or vote was taken. The superintendent said the district will continue to post the data and provide annual updates and that administration will follow district policy and statutory reporting obligations when incidents occur.

Quote: "The data is posted... under superintendent presentations," Doctor Caputo said, noting the required biannual reporting cadence.

The presentation closed with no additional action requested; board members did not raise follow-up motions at the July 22 meeting.