Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Discipline topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District reports more disciplinary referrals, rising vaping and academic-dishonesty cases
Summary
Administrators reported increases in junior-high and high-school referrals tied to disruptive behavior and technology misuse; high school leaders flagged a significant rise in academic-dishonesty reports and more suspensions linked to nicotine and THC vaping devices.
Pleasant Valley Community School District administrators told the board Monday that referrals and some suspension categories rose this past school year, and they described steps the district is using to respond.
Junior-high leadership reported 908 students and 708 referrals for the year, with a substantial portion tied to a small group of students. Administrators said the district’s new behavior flowchart has increased consistency in staff responses and that many referrals reflect disruptive conduct (water-bottle and Chromebook distractions, playing noises on devices) and "inappropriate use of technology." They noted increases in tardies and after-school detention use as staff reestablished pre-COVID consequences.
At the high school, administrators reported enrollment of 1,757 and 3,370 referrals for the year. Skipping classes accounted for the largest share (about 2,093 referrals). The high school reported an 84% year-over-year increase in academic-dishonesty referrals and a rise in suspensions tied to nicotine and THC vaping devices (24 suspension instances districtwide cited during the high-school presentation). School leaders pointed to vape detectors, additional hall monitors and targeted re-entry and diversion meetings as tools to address the problem.
Deputy Kurt Wilson, the school resource officer, said his office recorded about 191 calls for service at the high school, 48 at the junior high and 293 across the district this year; he described outreach, diversion and prevention programs including an online diversion pathway and the Say Something tip program.
Administrators told the board they expect some referral counts to normalize as staff and students adapt to consistent discipline protocols, but they emphasized continued monitoring and targeted interventions for 'high-flyer' students who generate the majority of referrals.
Provenance: Detailed attendance and discipline figures and discussion are in the junior-high and high-school reports presented during the meeting.
