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Englewood officials correct student-safety data to show 156 incidents; cite misclassification and plan audits
Summary
District officials told the board that earlier reporting of 8 SSDS incidents was incorrect and a corrected count of 156 (Sept–Dec) reflects suspensions, vaping-related substance incidents, miscoded toy‑weapon entries and a high number of 'other' incidents; administrators outlined training and monthly audits to fix reporting.
Officials for the Englewood Public School District told the board they discovered substantial misreporting in the New Jersey Student Safety Data System (SSDS) and have steps in place to correct classification and prevent future errors.
High-school principal Milton Osorio (SSDS lead) said the January report shown to the board had listed 8 incidents; after review the district found the correct total was 156 incidents from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, including 2 violent incidents (fights), 3 vandalism incidents, 19 substance-abuse incidents (largely vaping), 3 incidents coded as weapons that the district says were toy guns or miscoded box cutters, and 129 incidents classified as ‘other’ (cell-phone policy, minor infractions, disorderly conduct). "We reported 8 SSDS incidents. Actual total incidents were a 156," Osorio said.
Osorio attributed the discrepancy to multiple factors: several different staff members entering data over recent years, a misalignment between the district’s Genesis codes and the SSDS classification, limited training on SSDS requirements, and an overuse of the generic 'other' category. He said the district will: streamline discipline code mappings in Genesis, provide professional development for administrators on SSDS reporting, reclassify and correct miscoded incidents in coordination with the state, and begin monthly audits and oversight at each school.
The board asked for trend data across years and for clarification about how many incidents represented suspensions versus alleged or founded claims. Osorio said the district had 12 alleged HIB incidents with 4 confirmed, that many high-school incidents were vaping related, and that the state would be engaged to correct miscodings where necessary.
Why it matters: SSDS data are used by the state to identify schools that need additional resources or corrective action. Accurate reporting affects resource allocation and public understanding of school safety trends.
What’s next: Administration will proceed with the code-cleanup, training and monthly audits described and coordinate with the state to correct previously miscoded incidents.
