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Jurupa Unified reports decline in suspensions as MTSS/PBIS supports expand
Summary
District administrators told the board that suspensions and expulsions have declined since a 2023 peak, credited to MTSS coaching, PBIS teams and restorative practices; staff cautioned 2025–26 numbers shown are partial-year data and outlined next steps to sustain supports.
Monty Owens, who leads the district's MTSS/PBIS work, told the Jurupa Unified School District Board on Jan. 20 that suspensions and expulsions have been trending downward after a peak in 2023. Owens said the district reported 526 suspensions and 58 expulsions in the full year shown earlier in the presentation, and that the suspension rate in that year represented roughly 2.7 percent of students.
The board heard that the district attributes the improvement to a mix of strategies: onsite MTSS coaching, coordinated PBIS teams, targeted Tier 2 interventions such as check-and-connect and mentoring, and restorative practices used at reentry from suspension. Owens described how MTSS coaches are assigned in cohorts to schools, provide data and coaching for PBIS teams, and help principals implement tiered interventions to prevent escalation to suspension or expulsion.
Why it matters: fewer suspensions and expulsions reduce instructional loss for affected students and can improve campus climate, but the board was repeatedly cautioned that the 2025–26 figures shown in the presentation cover only the first semester. Owens emphasized that the charts presented reflect a partial year and that certain charts shown on the slides were limited to off-campus suspensions only; on-campus suspensions are reported separately.
Trustees asked how the district differentiates minor misbehavior from bullying, how restorative practices are applied, and what happens when grant-funded MTSS supports end. Owens said initial responses for minor incidents typically use counseling or low-level restorative interventions and that the district is building systems so school staff and principals can sustain supports even if external grant funding declines. He described the schedule model for MTSS coaches (site assignments and flexible responses for urgent needs) and said family engagement is included in Tier 2 plans.
The board did not take a formal vote on the discipline presentation. Staff said they will continue to report updated data and that work is ongoing to make the MTSS/PBIS model sustainable across the district.
