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District safety report flags rise in aggressive behavior among a small number of kindergarten students
Summary
The district’s cycle‑one school‑safety report showed a slight increase in overall violence and a concerning cluster of aggressive incidents involving a few kindergarten students; staff said seclusion is not used and that restraints occur only for students with specific needs.
The Sayreville School District’s cycle‑one school‑safety report, covering Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025, showed mostly stable or lower counts in several categories but a slight increase in overall violence and a concentrated rise in serious aggressive incidents among a small number of kindergarten students, presenters said on Jan. 20.
"We do not engage in seclusions here in Sayreville School District," said Mr. Glock Malloy while reviewing reporting categories for violence, vandalism, substances, weapons and other incidents. The presentation noted that the district uses restraints only in narrowly defined circumstances for students with specific needs.
During board discussion, administrators described examples of assault‑level behavior at K–3 sites: staff reported that a few kindergarten students have punched or kicked teachers and that some students have run out of classrooms, creating safety concerns. One principal described the pattern as concentrated among three or four students per grade at specific schools and tied some cases to difficulties transitioning from preschool (Tools of the Mind) into the kindergarten curriculum. The superintendent said staff will examine ways to blend preschool and kindergarten curricula to ease transitions and will continue collaboration with families and preschool teams.
The presenter also reviewed positive trends: in the middle school the district reported reductions in fights and in‑school suspensions year‑over‑year, which administrators attributed to the RTI model and increased parent engagement. The SSD slides showed an increase in trainings and programs offered districtwide, such as conflict‑resolution and cyber‑safety initiatives, intended to reduce incidents through prevention.
Board members asked for additional detail about incident reporting and follow‑up supports; staff said principals and district leaders are conducting case‑level interventions and crisis prevention training (CPI) is provided to staff.
