Warren County School Board Reviews Discipline and Safety Updates at April Meeting

At its April 23 meeting, the Warren County School Board received a series of important reports highlighting trends in student discipline, school safety, and community engagement efforts.

March 2025 Discipline Report
Superintendent Dr. Chris Ballenger, presented the March 2025 Discipline Report, which this year features a new format comparing year-over-year data at each school.

Among the highlights:

• A.S. Rhodes Elementary reported a decrease of six discipline incidents compared to March 2024.

• E. Wilson Morrison Elementary saw a slight increase from four incidents last year to six this year.

• Hilda J. Barbour Elementary showed a reduction in incidents, notably dropping from 13 instances of in-school suspension (ISS) last year to just three this year.

• Leslie Fox Keyser Elementary experienced a slight rise in incidents, particularly with an increase in reports of profane and vulgar language.

• Ressie Jeffries Elementary reported a significant increase, up 12 incidents from last year. Dr. Ballenger highlighted that inappropriate physical contact and a few minor fights contributed to the rise, resulting in more notifications to the School Resource Officer (SRO).

• Skyline Middle School showed a decrease of 10 incidents, while Warren County Middle School reported six more incidents than the previous year, including several cases of students being in unauthorized areas.

• Skyline High School had a notable increase of 28 discipline incidents, driven largely by increases in students refusing to comply with staff and students skipping class. Despite this, the school saw a reduction in suspensions and fewer SRO notifications.

• Warren County High School reported a slight decrease in overall incidents, although there was a slight uptick in out-of-school suspensions compared to last year.

Dr. Ballenger also discussed cell phone use since the stricter policy was fully implemented in January. He noted improved student engagement but acknowledged continued minor violations, such as earbuds hidden under hoodies. He said further refinements to the policy could be considered over the summer, possibly introducing progressive discipline measures for repeat offenders.

School Resource Officer (SRO) Report
Sergeant Kristin Hajduk of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office provided the monthly SRO update, noting that while incidents were up slightly in March, it reflected a normal month of full attendance after a winter of disruptions.

Most incidents involved minor fights, but Hajduk emphasized that most were mutual combat situations with no charges filed. She also shared that vape-related incidents, including THC vapes, had decreased compared to last year.

Sergeant Hajduk outlined future plans to present year-over-year discipline comparisons starting next month, helping track trends more accurately moving forward.

In brighter news, Hajduk reported the success of recent DARE program activities. Though rainy weather canceled the traditional county-wide DARE Day, schools hosted “mock DARE Days” individually. Students enjoyed hands-on activities with law enforcement, fire, and rescue teams, leading to more meaningful experiences.

Upcoming events include:

• Ressie Jeffries’ DARE Day on May 19.

• A DARE essay and poster contest awards ceremony at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office on May 7, complete with a tour and pizza party for winners.

• Cops and Bobbers Youth Fishing Event on April 26 at Bing Crosby Stadium, an outreach event hosted by the Sheriff’s Office and local partners.

The evening’s reports reflected Warren County Public Schools’ continued focus on improving student behavior, fostering safer schools, and building positive community relationships.