Keystone Central board approves aggression‑replacement training for staff and requires follow‑up reports

The Keystone Central School District board on May 7 approved an aggression‑replacement training program for staff working with students who present significant behavioral challenges, with funding drawn from the district’s access funds for special-education supports.

Dr. Frank Redmond and other administrators described the training as necessary for staff safety and legal compliance in interventions; the superintendent’s office said the program cost would be $28,200 and that the expenditure would not come from the general fund but from access funds designated for special-education programming. Board members asked how many staff would attend and requested assurances the district would make full use of the training if costed for up to 25 facilitators.

Motion and reporting requirement: The motion, as amended, authorizes the training and requires the administration to provide the safety committee with a short summary of the training shortly after completion and follow-up outcome reports at six months and one year. The board approved the item by roll‑call vote (eight members in favor).

Why it matters: Board members emphasized recurring classroom disruptions and the need to equip staff with legal, safety-focused strategies for responding to severe behavioral incidents. Commenters in the meeting cited prior experience in which trained staff were better able to manage volatile situations without escalating legal risk.

Next steps: Administration will schedule the training during the workday for assigned staff and report back to the safety committee as required by the motion. The board asked for a short immediate summary after completion and the longer-term outcome reports to assess program reach and effectiveness.