Norwin school officials want to implement a new comprehensive initiative in the next year to tackle the issue of bullying — both in-person and online — in an effort to prevent it and to intervene when it happens.
The district administration wants to develop a Norwin-focused policy that will have a research-based program for kindergarten through 12th grade for “prevention and intervention strategies,” Superintendent Jeff Taylor told the school board this week.
Taylor said he envisions the district hiring two additional counselors for the elementary buildings, two additional STEM teachers, and another school police officer.
The comprehensive program would cost about $450,000, he said. The new positions are included in a proposed 2022-23 district budget.
If the board approves spending money for the new positions, Taylor said he would want a committee of stakeholders — students, teachers, administrators, parents and family members — to develop the district’s anti-bullying policy.
The employees would be hired for the new school year, and the policy could be implemented in January.
Students targeted by bullies can be made to feel unsafe in school, and research has shown that students who do not feel safe are not able to “learn as effectively and efficiently,” Taylor said.
To combat the problem, professional development is needed for all employees to make sure they are aware of the warning signs of bullying and so they can help prevent it, the superintendent said.
“I think we will see very positive results in less fights and bullying,” Taylor said.
Taylor wants to hire two additional counselors to complement the two counselors in Norwin’s four elementary schools. Adding two counselors for an elementary program with about 1,000 students makes it more manageable for the counselors, the superintendent said.
Two additional STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — teachers are needed to have one in each elementary building. It would be part of an effort to integrate the instruction in kindergarten-eighth grade, under the “digital citizenship” element of STEM, Taylor said.
“This is one of those concepts that you cannot do once every three or four years,” Taylor said. “This is something that has to be woven inside instruction and spiral year after year.”
Another school police officer is necessary to complement Jeff Pritts, the district’s lone officer, Taylor said. While the current resource officers may work at the high school, the second police officer will be able to move around the district’s other buildings.
Intervening in the actions of a bully could involve sessions with school counselors and small-group meetings to stop the behavior. School police officers may get involved to provide more attention to those at-risk students.
To pay for these efforts, Taylor said the district would have to tap into its general fund. The local cost of the program could be reduced if the district gets a Safe Schools grant to pay for another police officer, Taylor said.
School Director Alex Detschelt said he would not want to “over commit” to hiring additional personnel and wondered how many students may receive the services of the additional employees.
Kim Law of North Huntingdon, who said her son, a high school student with autism, has been the target of bullies. She complimented the district for confronting the issue.
“You guys could make a real impact, not only with our school district, but with other school districts,” Law said.
