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Pupil services annual report: seclusion and restraint incidents concentrated in specialized programs; bullying incidents low
Summary
Director of pupil services presented required annual data: 31 seclusions districtwide and concentrated restraint incidents at Project WIN (Burlington Alternative School); the report also identified nine bullying incidents, with administrators emphasizing debriefs, documentation and increased elementary supports.
Director of Pupil Services Chris Wines presented the district's annual seclusion, restraint and bullying report on July 13, describing where incidents occurred, how staff respond and the district's steps to reduce future occurrences.
Wines said seclusions totaled 31 across the district for the year and that restraints occurred most frequently at the elementary level and in specialized programming. He noted Burlington Alternative School (Project WIN), the district's specialized behavioral program, recorded 18 restraint incidents but said most were concentrated with a single student who had significant needs. Wines described the district's process after each incident: immediate debriefs, team reviews that include principals and pupil-services staff, documentation provided to families within statutory timelines and, when necessary, changes to a student's placement or individualized plan.
Wines described training and prevention measures: the district has three trainers for its restraint approach and said approximately 50 staff members are certified in the technique, with annual recertification and a four-day initial training for new staff who require the full certification. He emphasized de-escalation scripts and scripted responses to reduce escalation.
On bullying, Wines said districtwide data showed nine incidents classified as bullying this year (three at the high school, six at Karcher Middle School, none at the elementary schools). Administrators explained coding practices that separate harassment, conflict and bullying, and outlined the progressive code-of-conduct actions tied to an investigation.
Board members asked for clarification on "changing placement" decisions, how families are notified and how documentation is shared; Wines said that changes to placement are major IEP-team decisions made with parents and that staff share reports with families in line with statute and district process.
District leaders framed Project WIN and in-district supports as an effort to keep students in community settings when appropriate rather than place them out of district, a practice that can be costly and disruptive to students' peer relationships.
