District and partners describe diversion program aimed at keeping low‑level school incidents out of juvenile court

Erie School District staff and school‑based law enforcement briefed the board on a diversion program designed to handle low‑level offenses without moving students into the juvenile justice system.

Sergeant Rich Pothorff, one of the diversion program supervisors, summarized eligibility and process: "This program is eligible for our students in grade 6 through 12," and explained that when parents agree to the referral a case manager with UPMC Safe Harbor coordinates group sessions at the student's own school. The sessions are three half‑days of social‑emotional learning, followed by a small graduation ceremony and a certificate upon completion.

Staff described program goals as accountability without criminalization, stronger relationships between officers and students, and reduced adversarial encounters. The district reported 120 total referrals in 24–25 and said recidivism is “extremely low.” For the current year staff reported 45 referrals as of the most recent reporting date; 27 students have graduated and 10 remain active in the referral process, with eight referred back to the program by magisterial courts where necessary.

Board members asked clarifying questions about the threshold between disruptive behavior and statutory assault, how bullying is categorized under Title 18 versus the school handbook, and why some students did not complete the program. Staff said noncompletion can be due to missed sessions, parent refusal, or statutory filing deadlines on summary offenses and that the district will supply further disaggregation on offense types and recidivism for bullying if requested.

No formal action was taken; staff offered to provide more detailed breakdowns and follow up with requested counts by offense type and grade.