Parents tell board that discipline enforcement is inconsistent; advisory offers five recommendations

The Parent/Guardian Advisory reported to the board on Dec. 9 that parents across district schools raised repeated concerns about inconsistent discipline enforcement, uneven notification to families, and gaps in reentry planning following suspensions.

At the Nov. 17 meeting, 18 parents discussed examples where some students who are frequently referred to the success center still played in activities while other students who were sent once were excluded. The advisory offered five recommendations to the board: 1) ensure equitable enforcement of discipline across buildings; 2) provide parents an infographic or flowchart at the school year's start explaining the discipline process; 3) standardize documentation and parent notification with timely turnaround; 4) ensure bus drivers are trained to support students with IEPs/504s and informed about accommodations; and 5) provide district-wide staff training on culturally responsive communication and discipline practices.

The advisory also submitted a list of questions the board asked staff to answer before the Jan. 26 meeting, including how MTSS tiers are defined, policies for success-center referrals, and procedures for reentry planning and parent notification. The board thanked the advisory and asked staff to receive and forward the written report to board members.