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District reports three confirmed HIBs in fall safety-data submission
Summary
District anti-bullying coordinator Jackie Chesin reported the Student Safety Data System submission for Sept.1–Dec.31, 2024: Frog Pond recorded five unfounded HIB reports and one founded; Mitchell had two confirmed HIBs; districtwide there were three confirmed HIBs and 12 out-of-school suspensions at one school. The board asked follow-up questions about in-school suspension and bus-related suspensions.
At the Little Egg Harbor Board of Education meeting, Jackie Chesin, director of personnel planning and evaluation and the district’s anti-bullying coordinator, presented the Student Safety Data System (SSDS) submission covering Sept. 1–Dec. 31, 2024.
Chesin told the board that Frog Pond School’s submission included five unfounded HIB investigations and one founded HIB; Mitchell School had four unfounded investigations and two confirmed HIBs. Districtwide, Chesin said there were three confirmed HIBs for the reporting period and no incidents that rose to the level of vandalism or violence. She reported 12 out-of-school suspensions at Frog Pond for the period; the transcript reflects a total of 12 out-of-school suspensions reported in that school’s submission.
Chesin described district training and prevention efforts: annual anti-bullying training for staff and monthly training for substitutes (board-approved), mandatory annual training for the three anti-bullying specialists (one per school plus the district coordinator), and periodic assemblies and programs focused on character traits to improve school climate. She also summarized the district’s practice of sometimes handling incidents as conduct code infractions rather than opening HIB investigations when distinguishing characteristics are not present, and said parents are notified and can appeal decisions not to investigate.
Board members asked why the district does not use in-school suspension; Chesin answered that the district lacks dedicated staff to supervise an in-school suspension program and offered to provide a breakdown of out-of-school suspensions related to bus behavior if the board requests that data.
Chesin said she will provide an update to the board in June or July and invited board members to contact her or the superintendent with follow-up questions.
