SD161 Staffs Discipline Pilot Program Amid Cost Debate

The Summit Hill District 161 board approved the hiring of two teachers Wednesday to head up its newly created student discipline room, but not without debate among members over whether it was economically responsible.

Joseph Cardinal and Michael Doyle will be the permanent substitute teachers in charge of the discipline rooms at and , respectively. This yearlong pilot program, , is a tool for teachers to use for students who act up in class. It will start at the beginning of this school year.

The hiring passed on a 4-1 vote, with board member Sean Doyle voting no and board member Geroge Perros abstaining. Board member Dee Molinare was absent.

Approval of the hiring was initially on the board's consent agenda, but Doyle asked it be removed so that it could be discussed during the meeting. Doyle said he objected to the hirings not because of the qualifications of the candidates but because he thought it wasn't a wise way to spend school funds.

"The main thing really is the cost. I'm concerned about that. It does seem to be very, very steep," Doyle said, adding that the hirings would run the district an extra $108,000 to $110,000.

A survey of teachers at those schools, however, indicated that student discipline was a leading concern, said Board Vice President Joy Murphy. She also cited the 125 detentions at each school—data supplied by interim Superintendent Barb Rains—as evidence that disruptive kids are a problem.

"We asked the teachers for their input," Murphy said. "Their input was we need discipline in these buildings. When students are sent down to the office and are right back to disrupt the class even more, I'm sorry, but that's a huge concern of them and the board."

But those figures don't necessarily tell the entire story, Doyle said. In an interview after the meeting, he said he wanted to know of those detentions, how many different students were involved. Doyle also wanted statistics on how many out-of-school and in-school suspensions occurred in the school year. 

"We say it's a major concern, but is it borne out by the numbers?" he said.