Lauderdale County School District Policy Change

The Lauderdale County School District have improved their school policies to better help its students.

In the month of November, the Lauderdale County School District Board of Education approved a new policy concerning fighting at school and how discipline will be administered. The Superintendent explains the new change in policy

“We want to provide them the tools and the interventions behaviorally to improve to learn from their mistakes. And so that's really what we wanted to do is really help students get back and learn from the mistakes. So the policy change reflects that,” said Superintendent Dr. John-Mark-Cain.

Seeing an uptick in altercations on their campuses the board decided to come together now rather than the end of the year to change their policy to have a more behavioral intervention.

“So when a student returns to school altercation, they'll have to go through a module, which is a program of behavioral therapy.”

Rather than just punishing a student with suspension the superintendents say they see it as the student made a mistake and the new policy is a way for them to learn from it.

“They'll meet with our behavioral therapist to discuss what led to the event, why they chose that type. So really trying to make it a learning process. Obviously, there are consequences. When you break the rules, those will still be in effect.”

I spoke with some meridians to see if they think the new policy will help improve student behavior and if more schools should do the same.

Parent Diana Forbes had this to say, “I do think it’s a great thing and that it’s a building opportunity as well, I believe every school should do the same thing.”

Theresa, a Meridian Residents said this, “I think they are doing pretty good right now because of this pandemic but they got to learn to give them a chance.”

Since the change in the policy, the superintendents say they have already seen a decrease in altercations.