VIRGINIA- With the new school year now in session, the ISD 2142 school board turned its attention Tuesday to what its schools are doing to address an issue of increasing concern toward the end of last year’s term, bullying.
A student and parent who spoke in emotional detail to the board about issues with bullying back in May prompted board members to ask for more detail about how the district is handling such behaviors at a future board meeting. At two public meetings that month in Cook, parents and staff also raised concerns about bullying at the North Woods School.
Board members had a wealth of information available to them on Tuesday, as Superintendent Reggie Engebritson had assembled a panel, including Director of Teaching and Learning Kristi Berlin, Project AWARE Mental Health Coordinator Alicia Dick, and all five school building principals to talk about responses to bullying and answer questions.
Referring to a detailed handout provided to board members, Berlin said, “There are three things we look for. Is a behavior repeated, is there an intent of harm, and is there an imbalance of power? In (determining) the intent of harm, you can see there’s a chart on the back that helps that out.
The district uses these criteria to specifically identify bullying versus other behaviors that might be problematic that have been associated in the media with the term,” said Berlin.
“Bullying is not being mean to someone or saying something mean to someone or hurting someone’s feelings,” Berlin added.
Tower-Soudan Principal John Jirik emphasized that school staff still respond to those types of behaviors.
“Just because it’s not specifically bullying doesn’t mean those things aren’t addressed,” he said. “I want to make sure that it’s clear that even though those things are not bullying they are addressed.”
Later, board member Bob Larson returned to the issues involving the student who appeared at the May meeting. While an investigation determined that derogatory comments about the student didn’t constitute bullying because they weren’t directed at her when she was present to hear them, Larson was still concerned about the student and the behavior.
“Regardless of whether it was bullying or not, I think it ruined her school year,” Larson said. “It affected her greatly.”
Dick explained that through Project AWARE, which started last year, the district has assessed its systems, climate, and culture for how bullying can be deterred at various levels.
“We’re really working on improving the climate and culture within the system because we know that we as adults can impact how people treat each other and how people see each other,” she said.
Dick discussed a flowchart the district has developed to guide the response of staff to bullying depending on the circumstances involved, including when to involve particular support personnel, such as student and family advocates or mental health professionals.
The discussion was far reaching as principals got fully engaged, providing a range of information from examples of how they have investigated and addressed specific bullying incidents to an overview of a positive behavioral support system that reduces incidents of bullying and other negative behaviors.
“We’re proactive with our kids in telling them what our expectations are,” said North Woods Principal John Vukmanich. “We’re more up front with them about what we expect them to do.”
As the discussion wrapped up, board members appeared satisfied that the district has a system and additional support personnel to intervene when bullying occurs.
“As a board, we certainly wanted to do something when this was brought to our attention,” Larson said. “It was brought to administration’s attention, too, so I think things are being done.”
Meal change
Students who don’t have money in their food accounts will no longer be served alternate meals that don’t include the main entrée when the board takes up a new meals policy presented by Engebritson at Tuesday’s meeting.
“One of the things the (Minnesota School Boards Association) asked is that we make sure we have this policy in place, and I don’t think we do,” Engebritson said. “It talks about not shaming kids that don’t have money in their account. So, we would give every child the same meal, whether they have money in their account or not.”
Alerts will be sent to parents when there is $10, $0, and -$10 in their child’s account, and district staff will make personal contacts to help parents apply for the free and reduced meals program if they are eligible, Engebritson said. Staff have already been doing so, but the practice will be encoded in the policy.
If a child’s negative account balance continues to grow, Engebritson said the district would initiate collection activities at a certain point to recoup the losses, but the child will still receive full meals.
The board will act on the policy at its next business meeting.
Engebritson also reviewed the district’s Safe Return to Learning Plan to mitigate COVID-19.
Face coverings will be optional for students, staff, and visitors. There will be no distancing requirements in school buildings or on transportation. Students and staff are required to stay home or to leave school if they become sick during the day, and may not return until they have been fever free for 24 hours without the aid of medication.
“There are no requirements from the CDC, there are recommendations,” Engebritson said. “We’ll follow the recommendations if somebody’s sick.”
Board member Chris Koivisto asked what learning accommodations would be made for students who are being kept at home during their illness. Engebritson said there won’t be any special accommodations, although parents are welcome to come to the school to talk with teachers and get materials.
“We’d pick up where they left off (when they return),” Engebritson said. “They’re home because they’re sick, so we would just pick up like a kid who has the flu who was at home.”