Director presents discipline data; board to consider K-8 cell-phone limits and adding 'BASE' intervention modules

Jabari Cobb, the Clarke County School District's director of student services, presented the district's behavior and discipline data and a draft of the 2026-27 code of student conduct during the board work session. Cobb said the district has seen a decrease in state-reportable incidents and in out-of-school suspensions following changes to the district's behavior support model and broader MTSS/PBIS efforts.

"Intervention work does matter and it is effective," Cobb told the board, then walked members through year-to-date comparisons (August through February) across elementary, middle and high school grade bands. He noted a spike in some high-school metrics in 2023-24 that he and staff tied to the initial implementation of the district's cell-phone guidelines for high school, a change that later stalled and then reversed in part as teachers and leaders refined enforcement and support strategies.

Alongside the data review, Cobb outlined two proposed code changes for board consideration next month: (1) language reflecting the new state-required PreK–8 cell-phone rule, and (2) an option to include BASE, a computer-based, self-paced intervention module, as part of secondary-school responses to some infractions (notably substance-related incidents). He said the BASE modules are intended to supplement, not replace, in-person supports: "It doesn't replace the restorative work ... it's in conjunction with all the other supports that we have in place as well," Cobb said.

Board members asked for more program detail and evidence before moving from the draft stage. Several directors asked for cost estimates, school-level comparisons and outcome data that show whether BASE produces better behavioral outcomes than existing in-person interventions. Boardmember Mark Jensen expressed skepticism about relying on web-based modules alone: "...put a student that's maybe having some challenges in front of a computer and expect their behavior to be changed — that didn't help me," he said, urging that human contact and local restorative practices remain central.

Other board members pressed for more granular data and evaluation plans. Dr. Lisha Gant and others requested disaggregated incident and intervention outcomes by school, by demographic group (including English-language learners and students with IEPs), and by intervention type so the district can identify practices that work and replicate them across schools. Staff committed to provide cost information and to better document how BASE is used alongside behavior specialists and mental-health supports.

Next steps: The draft code of conduct remains in public review and the board will take final action at its April meeting. Staff said the draft was posted for comment and that they would provide additional materials (costs, evaluation metrics, and school-level comparisons) ahead of the final vote.

Votes at a glance: During the same session the board also adopted the meeting agenda, approved the consent agenda (field trips, purchases, and other routine items), accepted January 2026 financials, and approved personnel and contract lists. All votes reported in the transcript were taken by voice and passed unanimously.

Why it matters: Finalizing the code of conduct will determine districtwide rules for student behavior, how incidents are handled, and what rehabilitative options are available to students. A K–8 cell-phone rule codifies state requirements at the elementary and middle-school level; adding BASE would expand the district's toolkit for secondary interventions but — as board members noted — requires evidence and oversight to ensure it complements, not supplants, restorative and person-led supports.