Repeat offenders cause most discipline issues at Perry County schools

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Several Perry County educators appear to agree most disciplinary issues in the district flow from a handful of repeat offenders.

And among the infractions these students commit each year, being disrespectful and rebellious are near the top of the list.

“I see a growing number of defiant behavior in our third and fourth grades,” said Mike Wortmann, assistant principal of Perryville Elementary School.

Wortmann began a series of presentations at Wednesday night’s school board meeting that were meant to gauge discipline across the board.

He, like the other speakers who came after him, said many of the challenges he and his colleagues face tend to come from the same children.

The top offense last school year was misbehavior on buses, with 203 instances reported. During the 2014-2015 school year, the number had leapt to 208 from 99 in 2013-2014.

Wortmann attributed the steady rise mostly to impulsive behavior and students wanting to flit around the bus when they aren’t supposed to do so.

Overall, 430 disciplinary actions were taken during 2015-2016 at the elementary school.

Jane Narrow, assistant principal of the middle school, agreed a majority of the 1,355 disciplinary referrals there last year tended to be from the same students.

Of the 294 students who received referrals, 42 had more than 10 apiece, accounting for about half the total incidents all year.

Of greatest concern were defiance, at 301 referrals last year, and aggressive behavior at 110.

Because of that, more work will be put into training teachers on how to de-escalate and defuse tense situations.

“The (incidents) that were larger and more severe were the ones that got out of hand,” Narrow told the board.

At the high school, 68 percent of all 775 disciplinary incidents in 2015-2016 were committed by 10 percent of students.

During the year, excessive tardiness accounted for 135 referrals, defiance came in at 47, disrespect to staff members came in at 95, electronic-device offenses numbered 54 and general misconduct was 62.

In the case of electronic devices, more discussions will be had with students next year, when they are allowed to bring phones and tablets for use in class, said principal Rich Thomas.

They will be taught the difference between appropriate and inappropriate use of the devices, and when infractions occur, there will be consequences.

“Our student population now has grown up with a cellphone their entire life,” he said, and many don’t know what to do when their phones are taken away even a for few hours.

ljones@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3652

Pertinent address:

Perryville, Mo.