Sheldon ISD discusses off‑campus assaults, suspensions and phone policy enforcement

District staff told Sheldon ISD trustees that five incidents counted as middle‑school assaults this school year occurred off campus but within 300 feet of school property, and said the district has not seen on‑campus assaults this year.

"This was the 5 that occurred off‑site," a district staff member said while explaining the district’s discipline data and clarifying that those incidents were off campus but involved district students. The staff member added that the high school has had three out‑of‑school suspensions this year and that fights and referrals have declined compared with prior years.

Trustees pressed staff about the district’s approach to electronic devices, attendance and truancy. The administration described a progressive approach designed to avoid overuse of out‑of‑school suspension: student conferences, parent‑student conferences and written notification through the Skyward system. The staff estimated that incidents tied directly to out‑of‑school suspensions are a small percentage of total OSS placements and said 90% of students have zero referrals.

A board member raised concern that strict device enforcement could produce adverse outcomes if relied on as the primary sanction. District staff said OSS is reserved for cases that present a danger to the student or others and that repeated insubordination can require escalated disciplinary responses.

The board did not take formal action on discipline policy changes during the meeting; staff said they will continue to engage parents and site administrators on device enforcement and attendance interventions.