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Mount Olive board reviews student‑safety (SSDS/HIB) data, outlines prevention programs
Summary
District director Jackie Bellow told the board the fall SSDS report (Sept. 1–Dec. 31, 2025) documents investigations across violence, vandalism, weapons and substance‑use categories; she said the district investigates all allegations and emphasized prevention programs such as No Place for Hate, PBIS, restorative practices and Teen Mental Health First Aid.
Jackie Bellow, the district's director of student support services and programming, presented the Mount Olive Township School District's Student Safety Data System (SSDS) and harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) report for the reporting period Sept. 1–Dec. 31, 2025. She said the district submits the report twice a year and will return later after the state certifies the spring period.
"We report all of the investigations we do, whether they're founded or unfounded," Bellow told the board, stressing that Mount Olive investigates every allegation and documents outcomes for the state. She explained that the SSDS categories include violence, vandalism, weapons offenses and substance abuse and that the column labeled "incidents leading to removal" refers to students removed from their educational environment (suspensions).
Bellow described the state standard for a founded HIB as narrowly defined. "For a HIB to be founded... the act has to be motivated by a distinguishing characteristic," she said, and it must "substantially disrupt" the educational environment; momentary upset does not meet that standard. She noted that the number of founded HIBs has declined over time in Mount Olive, in part because the district investigates broadly and only counts incidents as founded when they meet the statutory criteria.
The presentation emphasized prevention and training. Bellow said the district conducts legal trainings guided by state attorneys, holds monthly meetings for the anti‑bullying coordinator and specialists, and convenes school climate and safety teams. Programs cited included No Place for Hate curricula, peer mediation, character education, restorative lunch and specialized grade‑band programming. At the high school, she highlighted Teen Mental Health First Aid and student groups such as SAVE and Best Buddies as part of prevention and student leadership efforts.
Bellow said the district posts presentations online and reviews trends to decide where to place preventive resources (for example, staff in hallways or cameras in stairwells). She invited board members and the public to follow up and said she is available over the summer for questions.
The board did not take action on the presentation; Bellow said the spring reporting period will be compiled and presented after state certification.
