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Board hears year‑end discipline review; vaping and repeat offenders highlighted
Summary
District presenters reported declines in several disciplinary categories and increased use of in‑school alternative placements, while student vaping (including THC) rose sharply. The board asked for clearer data and next‑step interventions including trauma‑informed PD and Rise Room expansion.
District staff presented semester‑ and year‑over‑year behavioral data to the Canal Winchester Local Board of Education on July 13, telling members that overall discipline actions decreased in several buildings while vaping incidents and some intense behaviors rose in others.
The presenter said use of the district’s alternative learning centers (ALCs) increased as the district relied more on in‑school placements rather than out‑of‑school suspension. "We utilized the in‑school suspension model much more to keep kids in school," the presenter said, describing a rise in ALC placements and a corresponding decline in suspensions and expulsions in some buildings.
At the high school, staff credited a strict cell‑phone policy and hall sweeps with a significant drop in insubordination and confrontations; officials said physical‑abuse and fighting incidents fell and expulsions decreased compared with last year. Middle‑school metrics showed a large percentage decline in total incidents for semester two compared with the prior year, though presenters noted data‑pulling and coding changes that make direct apples‑to‑apples comparisons imperfect until the district completes its transition back to PowerSchool.
District staff flagged vaping as a central ongoing concern: "The vaping continues to be a challenge, specifically at the middle school and the high school," the presenter said, adding that the district is working with resource officers and counselors on education and outreach. Officials described the vaping increase as involving nicotine and THC and said online access and peer distribution were contributing factors.
To address intense behaviors and repeat offenders, staff outlined expanded supports: the Rise Room at Indian Trail for de‑escalation, additional special‑education staffing, a train‑the‑trainer model with Scott Irvin‑led behavioral leadership coaching at elementaries, and trauma‑informed professional development provided in partnership with Children’s Hospital. The board asked for more linear outcome data on those interventions next year and additional clarity on some percentage and count calculations that staff said they will revisit before the next data presentation.
Several board members also asked whether drug discoveries at school were forwarded to law enforcement; staff said serious incidents are coordinated with SROs and that charging decisions are made case‑by‑case. The board did not vote on policy changes at the meeting but requested that staff return with updated and corrected data tables.
