School board gets update on student disciplinary causes

Mar 1, 2023 By MEGHAN BRADBURY 4 min read

Tobacco possession, drug use/possession, fighting and physical attack are among the top six reasons students receive a disciplinary action in Lee County schools.

In elementary school, the top six are physical attack or fighting, threat or intimidation, major disruption on campus, tobacco possession and bullying.

In middle and high school the top incidents include tobacco possession, followed by fighting, drug use/possession, physical attack, threat/intimidation and major disruption on campus.

The School Board of Lee County got a deeper dive last week into the district’s School Environment Safety Incident Report.

The SESIR, which includes 26 definitions, provides a “coding system used to report incidents that are against the law, or represent serious breaches of the code of student conduct,” ranging from a one to the most serious, a five.

At a district wide level, some of the incidents have risen, such as tobacco possession from 441 incidents during the first semester of 2021-2022, compared to 448 during the first semester of 2022-2023; fighting from 337 to 386; drug use/possession from 284 to 377 and threat/intimidation from 215 incidents to 254.

District wide, physical attack incidents decreased from 306 to 252 and major disruption on campus incidents from 115 to 69 incidents.

In elementary school there was a decrease in physical attack from 105 in 2021-2022 to 65 in 2022-2023. There was an increase of 51 in 2021-2022 in threat/intimidation to 71 in 2022-2023.

At the high school level there was an increase in drug use/possession from 282 in 2021-2022 to 376 in 2022-2023. There was a reduction in major disruption on campus from 97 in 2021-2022 to 63 in 2022-2023.

The board had many questions about the incident type and what classifies such behavior as fighting vs. physical attack.

Student Services Executive Director Jessica Duncan said the SESIR definition of a fight is where two students are physically restrained, or a resulting injury from the event. A physical attack is unprovoked by someone, or not engaged in mutual combat.

The incident is recorded and processed by an administrator or dean, who will closely compare it to the state definition to determine if the incident was coded correctly, she said.

School Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier said the district has better inform a site-based team to understand what is occurring on campus, what the big events are, as well as where incidents are occurring so the administrative team watching and supervising a campus can be properly aligned.

“That is the consistent part looking at data. One of the long-term projects would be creating interactive dashboards, (so administrators) could see what is transpiring at the appropriate levels,” he said.

District action

Positive Prevention Director Chuck Bradley said the district is working with the schools to help find appropriate strategies and interventions. He said they are educators and are there to teach appropriate behavior and appropriate ways to interact, so they can be successful in life.

Some of the corrective strategy examples include alternatives to suspension; conferencing with students and parents; Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS); counseling sessions; nicotine prevention course/Prevention Center; mentoring and restorative practices.

Bradley said they want to meet with the student and parent to make sure the parents are aware of what they are trying to accomplish at school, while enforcing what is being done at home.

As far as the restorative practices and mentoring, he said this is being done to repair harm that has happened whether it is harm in relationships, or damage on campus.

PBIS is a program schools use to help support positive behavior.

“We need to turn around and tell them what to do and how do you behave and interact with others, resolve conflict and meet expectations of others,”Bradley said, “The research behind PBIS is growing.”

PBIS research shows that there is a decrease in disciplinary infractions and antisocial behavior, while increasing academic engagement and school safety and climate.

“We talk PBIS to teach our students on what to do right,” Bernier said. “Sometimes we put a big long list of everything children can do wrong. PBIS simplifies four to six things to do correctly every day. Be on time, be responsible, to be prepared, to be nice. All those things listed in the code of conduct you really don’t have to worry about because if you conduct yourself every day, you’re treating yourself and classmates as good human beings.”

To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com