In other business during the October 28 meeting, the school board unanimously accepted its annual violence and vandalism report after a public hearing and presentation.##M:[more]##
According to data released by the state Department of Education, for the 2007-’08 school year, West Windsor-Plainsboro schools saw a reduction in the number of overall incidents to 47 total incidents — down from 61 in 2006-’07.
The incidents were broken down further during the meeting by Thomas Smith, the district’s superintendent for planning and pupil services. Of those incidents, 16 were violent incidents, down from 26 the year before. The number of incidents involved vandalism remained the same, at 11, and there were six incidents involving weapons — up from four the year before. There were 14 incidents involving substance abuse, down from 20 the year before.
The number of incidents of vandalism involving cost to the district was one — an incident in which a seat on a school bus was deliberately ripped open — and the damage was a total $160.
Smith also showed details about the course of action taken by district officials in dealing with the incidents. There were 10 incidents in which district officials notified police, nine of which resulted in complaints being filed. In 2006-’07, there were 11 incidents in which the police were notified, only two of which resulted in complaints being filed.
There were no expulsions as a result of the incidents in 2007-’08, on par with the prior year, and in both years, one student was removed to an alternative program as a result of an incident.
The number of suspensions was dramatically reduced in 2007-’08, with 54 short-term suspensions all year as a result of the incidents, down from 81 in 2006-’07.
Smith said he was proud of the decrease in that area because there has been an effort by district officials in the past two years to work collaboratively with students to reduce the number of incidents, and where they occur. And when they do happen, officials have been looking at using alternative, more proactive means of discipline and different strategies for dealing with various incidents.
With respect to victims of the incidents, there were five regular education students; four students with a disability; and two school personnel for a total of 11 victims last year. With respect to the offenders, 33 were regular education students; and 20 were students with a disability.
Calendar Approved. Also in other business during the October 27 meeting, the board approved the calendar for the 2009-’10 school year, which only allows for two emergency closing days, and begins school on Wednesday, September 9, with a full day. The last day of school that year will be June 18, 2010.
If there is one emergency closing, school will be in session on May 27, 2010, and if the second closing is used, school will be open on May 28, 2010. If the district exceeds two emergency dates, the board will be reviewing days off for spring recess, and if there are no emergency closing days, school will be closed on May 27 and 28 of that year.
Officials said the reason that the first day of school was a full day was because Labor Day just happens to fall late that year, and professional development days for teachers will be held in the two weeks leading up to the schools’ openings.
