Saucon Valley reviews safety reporting and anti-bullying rollout amid concerns over state rankings
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Summary
District safety staff presented four years of incident data, described how reporting categories (code-of-conduct vs reportable incidents) affect safety rankings, and outlined a scheduled Olweus anti-bullying program rollout integrated with PBIS and Rachel's Challenge.
Safety and operations staff presented a multi-year review of incident data and a plan to expand anti-bullying prevention efforts. The report reviewed non-code-of-conduct reportable incidents (those that count toward state safety metrics), code-of-conduct incidents, law-enforcement contacts and arrests, physical-contact violations, bullying reports, harassment and intimidation counts, possession of weapons and controlled substances, and disciplinary outcomes including ISS, OSS, and expulsions.
Presenters emphasized that differences in how districts classify incidents and assign consequences make cross-district comparisons misleading. For example, two neighboring districts had nearly identical counts for weapons and controlled-substance incidents but differed sharply in whether those incidents produced arrests or expulsions, reflecting local categorization and law-enforcement response. The safety director said the district is working to standardize internal reporting categories and to ensure consistent application across buildings.
Administrators also presented results from a district Olweus student survey (participation: elementary ~93%, middle ~90%, high ~80%). Survey responses identified primary locations for bullying (playground, lunchroom, classrooms, hallways) and frequency patterns; elementary students reported higher rates of frequent bullying than the national baseline in some categories. Student responses also measured how often students and adults intervene. The district plans to roll out Olweus more broadly in 2026–27, integrate it with PBIS and Rachel's Challenge, and train building teams and staff in coming months.
Board members raised concerns about a state reporting picture that can make Saucon Valley appear comparatively incident-prone. One member said the district currently "falls in 454" (per the presenter's citation) among reporting LEAs and that the state’s counting and inclusion of zero-reporting schools affects rankings. Members also discussed a new state law requiring community notifications when a weapon is found on campus and debated potential implications for student due-process and communication strategy. Administrators said they will continue to refine reporting consistency, post presentation materials on the district website, and bring further recommendations to the board.