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Officials credit restorative practices as bullying reports fall and attendance improves at Kent County Middle School
Summary
District leaders presented a midyear update on Kent County Middle School's climate and culture, citing expanded extracurricular programs, restorative practices, and partnerships (Peace Team) that administrators say have reduced bullying reports and improved attendance and climate-survey measures. They outlined the district's bullying reporting and investigation process and promised clearer website instructions for parents.
Kent County Public Schools administrators provided a detailed midyear update on Jan. 12 focused on Kent County Middle School, highlighting a sustained effort to improve school climate through extracurricular expansion, student leadership, restorative practices and community partnerships.
"We've really worked very, very hard to make Kent County Middle School a very safe place for our students," principal Mr. Buckle said, describing programs such as Echo Hill orientation for incoming 6th graders, Challenge Day for 7th graders, a revived science night, new clubs (reading, chess, field hockey club) and a partnership with Boys and Girls Club for after-school support.
Administrators pointed to data showing declines in bullying-report filings over three years and improvements on several state survey measures: year-to-date middle-school attendance rose and chronic absenteeism improved compared with the previous year. Superintendent Dr. McComas said chronic absenteeism was "2.59% better than it was last year" systemwide and highlighted middle-school gains of roughly 9.5 percentage points in chronic-absence improvement at the time of the presentation.
The presentation detailed the school’s approach to conflict: an initial report triggers an investigation (interviews, evidence gathering), followed by consequences calibrated to the code of conduct and restorative interventions such as mediation circles. The district uses the official state bullying/harassment reporting form (available on the district website and in Spanish) and routes submissions to student services, the principal and other staff for follow-up.
Administrators acknowledged work to improve follow-up and parent communication, especially on lower-level conflicts, and said they will add clearer expectations to the website (who to contact, what to expect and response timelines). The board discussed how proactive strategies — student leadership, PEACE team mediations and the Lighthouse initiative to increase adult-student connections — fit into long-term climate improvement.
No formal policy change or disciplinary action was taken at the meeting; the presentation was informational with an emphasis on continuing programs and improving parent communication and response timelines.
