KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — A student at Prairie Ridge Elementary in Oshtemo has been temporarily suspended for bringing a small knife to school. Parents were notified of the incident by letter.
Depending on the circumstances, the child will now go through a restorative justice program that will attempt to rehabilitate and not just punish. The goal with many of the program is to allow the students to continue their education during the punishment, so they don’t fall behind and become dropouts.
It’s one of many approaches the district uses to handle all the different problems and behaviors that can crop up in a diverse district like KPS.
Director of Student Services Nkenge A. Bergan and Title IX Coordinator Reuquiyah Saunders made a presentation to The Board of Education this week.
They say some of the programs are administered within the district to handle problems like bullying and altercations. They seek outside agencies in Kalamazoo to deal with issues like mental health and substance abuse.
They say efforts to maintain a positive learning atmosphere have been put to the test this year following the death of five students just before opening day and last week’s heat wave.
