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Superintendent reports 41 HIB incidents in reporting period and outlines prevention work
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Summary
The superintendent presented the state student safety (HIB) report showing 41 incidents across the district for the Sept–Dec 2025 reporting window, detailed school‑level breakdowns and the district’s prevention programs; the board requested disaggregated 'other' removal data and a multiyear comparison.
Superintendent Dr. Mammon presented the district's student‑safety submission required by state law (NJSA 18A:17‑46), reporting 41 incidents districtwide for the Sept–Dec 2025 window and describing prevention and response efforts.
"These are our numbers of total incidents…Churchill 17, High school 18, Hughes 5," Dr. Mammon said, walking the board through the state form and the way incidents can be counted in multiple categories (for example, a single incident could include both violence and a substance offense). He explained that some reported incidents do not meet the strict statutory threshold for harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) and would be recorded as "alleged" or unfounded, but that disciplinary removals that last at least a half‑day must still be reported even when they do not meet the HIB definition.
The superintendent summarized counts the presentation attributed to the reporting window: district total 41 incidents with 16 classed as violence, 4 as vandalism, multiple substance and weapon incidents at specific schools and a set of reported removals that administrators said they would disaggregate further on request. Officials also said there were 14 incidents that led to removal in a subset of schools and confirmed/ alleged HIB counts by school; Dr. Mammon agreed to provide age‑group breakdowns and additional detail on the substance incidents and on which grade levels at specific schools were affected.
To prevent incidents, administration highlighted existing programs and plans to expand social‑emotional learning (SEL): Sources of Strength peer/adult suicide prevention programming, Erin’s Law lessons, PBIS activities, restorative justice reentry meetings and other school‑based supports. "It's not just academics," Dr. Mammon said. "We have to wrap our arms around them..." He said he is looking to embed SEL school‑wide but noted funding remains a constraint.
Board members and others asked for a longer trend view and more disaggregated data on the "other" removal category; administration agreed to produce a multiyear comparison after the June reporting period and to return specific age/grade breakdowns and substance types (administration said substances identified included marijuana in some incidents).
What’s next: The district will provide more detailed breakdowns and a multiyear comparison as requested by the board; the next full HIB reporting will follow end‑of‑year data processing.
