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District directors report lower suspension rates, falling chronic absenteeism and expanded mental-health services
Summary
San Bernardino City Unified directors told the board that suspension rates have dropped below 4% and chronic absenteeism is trending downward, crediting SEL curriculum, restorative practices, expanded counseling and new vision/dental clinics; presenters outlined measurable gains and plans to scale supports.
Directors from the district's student services division told the Board of Education that several nonacademic indicators are improving across campuses, including a decline in suspensions and a fall in chronic absenteeism.
Colleen Williams, director of student wellness and support services, and Dr. Marlene Baikendova, director of positive youth development, presented data showing growth in schoolwide positive behavior systems (from 35 to 68 schools since 2022) and an increase in the percentage of students who have completed a state-mandated bullying-prevention lesson (from about 52% last year to roughly 62.5% year-to-date). Dr. Baikendova highlighted that the district's suspension rate dropped below 4% last year and was trending around 2.1% for August through January in the current year.
The presenters attributed progress to a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) that pairs universal SEL curricula (Second Step at TK–8; School Connect at high school) and site-based interventions with tier 2 programming such as check-in/check-out and emotion-management groups. Williams said the district has expanded mental-health therapy services to 36 schools and is piloting a social-worker intern program to increase capacity.
Williams also described partnerships that bring medical services to campuses: mobile vision clinics run by Western University and community clinics, and dental providers who perform sealants and preventive care. She said the district arranged clinics based on nurse screenings (kindergarten, 2nd, 5th, 8th) and provides consent forms and outreach so families can access services at no cost.
Board members pressed for clarity about outreach, funding and monitoring. Trustee Alexander asked how vision and dental events are prioritized; Williams said nurses and site teams coordinate dates and consent collection and that some providers accept medical reimbursement through families' insurance or donor funding. Trustee Tillman noted that school-based AI-driven attendance communication is being piloted to text parents and reduce barriers to regular attendance.
On outcomes, presenters reported an association between fidelity of SEL instruction and attendance: schools teaching at least 70% of the SEL curriculum saw a 9.5% reduction in chronic absenteeism; schools teaching 60–70% saw a 7.9% drop. Speakers emphasized that fidelity and monitoring (via the Panorama platform) are critical: interventions are tracked weekly and staff implementation is monitored for durability.
The board directed staff to continue building site-level coaching and professional development and to provide more detail about vendor reimbursement, the scope of services at clinics, and how the district verifies implementation fidelity. The presentation concluded with plans to expand youth courts and undercover anti-bullying teams and to continue Saturday-school and FOMO (fear-of-missing-out) events to encourage student attendance.
The next procedural step: staff will incorporate requested clarifications into follow-up materials and provide additional breakdowns of clinic funding and program fidelity at a future board meeting.
