East Windsor board hears plan for new school climate policy under state law; district builds systems before adoption

The East Windsor School District Board of Education on Monday received a detailed update on the district’s school climate and equity work and was told it will need to adopt a new school climate policy required by recent state legislation before the start of the next school year. Cheryl Gustaf, the district’s school climate and equity lead, told the board the district is building required systems now and will bring a final policy for board action once those elements are in place.

Cheryl Gustaf said the 2023 state law changes include a clearer definition of bullying that emphasizes an “imbalance of power” so families and staff can better distinguish bullying from other mean behavior. She also described a new statutory category, “challenging behavior,” used for conduct that is highly disruptive or poses safety questions. “The new definition will make it clearer for families to understand what bullying is,” Gustaf said, and the district is preparing school-level climate improvement plans aligned to the new standards.

Gustaf said the district already has restorative practices and social-emotional learning in place and is staffed with a climate specialist and coordinator. She described concrete classroom and program changes: Broadbrook Elementary added extra SEL time to its morning meetings; middle-school lessons are being revamped to be more interactive and incorporate student voice; and the high school continues advisory programming and professional development for teachers to embed SEL in instruction.

The district is participating in a two-year pilot with WestEd and the Connecticut State Department of Education that focuses on culture shift: the middle school’s work emphasizes staff-student relationships, and the high school’s work centers on positive behavior plans, Gustaf said. She also highlighted family-engagement efforts, including orientation programs for new families and a recently launched local prevention council that convened a parent education event on addiction and social media.

Gustaf noted the district’s role in a new town juvenile review board offering a restorative alternative to court for students who have encounters with law enforcement. The program provides restorative tasks and educational opportunities over about six months, she said.

Why it matters: Board members pressed for clarity on timelines and implementation because the new policy will set discipline definitions and procedures boardwide. Gustaf said the district will bring the policy forward after the district has the systems and school-level plans in place so it can begin the next school year compliant with the new law.

The board did not take a vote on a policy Monday; members asked that staff circulate timelines and drafts and scheduled a presentation from consultants and staff to answer follow-up questions at a January meeting.