Education

School supe tackles discipline questions

JULIE LANE PHOTO Superintendent Leonard Skuggevik answered parents’ questions Tuesday night about in-school suspensions.
JULIE LANE PHOTO
Superintendent Leonard Skuggevik answered parents’ questions Tuesday night about in-school suspensions.

Little more than a month into the new school year and three students have been given in-school suspensions, and the discipline brought questions from parents Tuesday night about what, exactly, merited such action by new Superintendent Leonard Skuggevik.Suspensions are recommended only when other means of dealing with discipline have failed and only in serious cases, Mr. Skuggevik said. Former Superintendent Michael Hynes hired Todd Gulluscio as dean of students to shore up discipline in the school, among other responsibilities, he said.

“Pride, respect and responsibility are the basis for everything that I do,” Mr. Skuggevik said, adding that he wants students to understand there are consequences for their behavior, and there are two significant actions that could, depending on the specific circumstances, result in students being removed from class — putting hands on another student with intent to cause harm or saying no to a faculty or staff member.

But those are broad guidelines, Mr. Skuggevik said, explaining that the specific circumstances would dictate discipline doled out. Although parents said they understood there had been a fight between students that resulted in an in-school suspension, Mr. Skuggevik said there was no such incident.

But Mr. Skuggevik was clear that if two students on a basketball court or field got into a scuffle, that wasn’t the type of behavior for which a suspension would take place.

He refused to get caught up in giving specific guidelines, explaining that each situation is different. He also noted that neither he nor Mr. Gulluscio get involved in discipline prior to teachers trying to deal with a situation.

When the teachers ask for assistance, that’s when administrators play a role, he said.

That students follow instructions of their teachers is critical, school board member Mark Kanarvogel said, explaining that if a dangerous situation arose, it would be important for the students to obey what they’re told for their own protection, and the protection of others.

The board is working on revising its Code of Conduct, something that is reviewed annually and the public will have ample time to comment once the draft is ready for discussion.

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