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Raleigh County Schools credits PBIS rollout for sharp drop in suspensions and disciplinary referrals
Summary
A district presentation showed that countywide implementation of PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) has coincided with large reductions in out-of-school suspensions and disciplinary referral counts; the district plans to expand Tier 2 supports next year.
Miss Acred, who leads the district PBIS effort, told the board the county is in year two of implementation and that 24 of 27 schools have reached bronze recognition. "PBIS implementation has led to dramatic declines in suspensions and serious infractions," she said, presenting charts that showed disciplinary-referral (DRF) counts falling from roughly 6,600 in 2021-22 to about 1,900 at midyear 2025 and out-of-school suspension (OSS) incidents dropping from about 1,757 in 2022-23 to 410 as of Dec. 31, 2025.
Why it matters: Out-of-school suspensions remove students from instruction and are associated with worse academic outcomes. The district framed PBIS as a tiered system that emphasizes prevention, consistent expectations and measurable supports to improve climate and reduce exclusionary discipline.
How the program is working: Acred said the program focuses on school-created behavior matrices (for example: be safe, be responsible, be respectful), explicit instruction of expectations, and consistent responses to infractions. She described Tier 1 as covering 80–90% of students and said the district will begin expanding Tier 2 targeted supports (check-ins, small groups, social skills interventions) this summer with outside assistance.
Board reaction and caveats: Board members praised principals' buy-in and noted the decline in middle-school referrals — one board member said only 13 middle-school students were referred for virtual alternative placement in the semester discussed, calling that "a tremendous celebration." Acred cautioned the data reflect midyear counts and emphasized continued fidelity: "We are not telling you to not write DRFs to make this look fluffy," she said, urging accurate reporting so declines reflect real behavior change rather than underreporting.
What’s next: District staff said they will continue principal-led data reviews at monthly leadership meetings, roll out Tier 2 supports beginning in July, and report back to the board when policy language for broader implementation is prepared. The board will monitor whether the midyear reductions persist through the full school year.
Sources: Board presentation by Miss Acred and Superintendent Starcher; PBIS charts and verbal data presented to the board.
