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Superintendent presents expansion of restorative "reset room," cites drop in suspensions and placement costs as contract support
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Lohr and administrator Dr. Roland told the board the district—xpanded a restorative "reset room" and contracted specialists through Key Solutions, showing declines in suspensions and outside placements and asking the board to support a contract to scale the work. Board members pressed for documentation of staff certifications and budget sources.
Kiski Area School District Superintendent Dr. Lohr introduced a presentation on the district pproach to student behavior and attendance on April 20, asking the board to consider expanding a restorative "reset room" and related contracted supports provided through Key Solutions.
Dr. Roland, who led the presentation, described the district—onfiguration: three K–6 behavior specialists, one 7–12 behavior specialist based in the emotional support classroom (serving about 31 students), three engagement specialists focused on grades 7–12 and one hourly engagement position at the career center. He said engagement specialists concentrate on motivation, attendance and reintegration while behavior specialists carry out functional behavior assessments, write interventions and sit on IEP teams.
"This is the reset framework. It is built on research," Dr. Roland said, describing the reset room as a restorative alternative to out-of-school suspension that emphasizes repairing harm and reintegrating students. He presented district data showing overall suspensions and repeat incidents declining after introduction of the reset room: 393 suspensions in 2023–24 (140 students involved) fell to 247 suspensions and 179 students to date in 2025–26, and placement spending declined from $874,305 in 2023–24 to about $764,000 in 2024–25, with a projected 2025–26 placement value of $477,943.
Dr. Roland said those changes reflect fewer repeat behaviors and improved reintegration: "They're going into this reset room. They're going through the process. They're reflecting. They're reengaging. They're fixing and repairing the relationship ... and then they're not doing it again." He and Dr. Lohr framed the approach as cost-effective and more likely to keep students in district programs and on course to graduate.
Board members used the Q&A to press for specifics. One member asked whether Key Solutions staff hold board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) credentials for work with students on the autism spectrum; Dr. Roland said not all staff are BCBAs and that the district would follow up to confirm credentials. The superintendent said certain Key Solutions positions are paid from the general fund while others use ACCESS or IDEA funds and offered to provide documentation of funding and staff certifications to the board.
Dr. Roland described allied programs that support the reset-room work, including truancy prevention and a credit-recovery program (46 students enrolled, 24 already successful) intended to keep students on track for graduation. He noted the district ttempts to replicate successful interventions at additional grade levels and said the contract for the expanded services was placed on the agenda to secure funding and sustain the program.
The presentation ended with an invitation to the board for follow-up: administrators said they would provide charts, caseload ratios and credential documentation requested by board members and would continue administrative work to evaluate where additional autistic-support or life-skills classrooms may be needed.
Next steps: the district indicated the Key Solutions contract would be considered through regular agenda procedures; the transcript records discussion and requests for documentation but does not record a formal board vote on that specific contract during this session.
