Webb suggests behavior pact for pupils

Pupils who fight could be banned from extra events for a year.

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATON WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Pupils in the city school district may soon be required to sign a contract promising to be on their best behavior at extracurricular events.

Dr. Wendy Webb, superintendent, told a city school board committee Wednesday that the contract — and the consequences for breaking it — could be put into place immediately.

Webb said the district is looking at working an anger management program into its eighth-grade curriculum to teach children how to deal with confrontation and anger. The plan would involve some refresher work in the ninth grade, she said.

A behavior contract would be part of that program, and, although the anger management effort isn’t likely to be in place until next school year, the contract part of the arrangement could be put into practice now, Webb told the board’s Ad Hoc Committee for Alternative Education and Student Safety.

Pupils and their parents could be required to sign it, she said.

The issue came into focus after two girls were involved in a fight at the Chaney-East high school basketball game at East High School on Friday. School officials halted the game at that point, and the two girls face suspension for their actions.

School district policy clearly spells out that extracurricular activities are a privilege given to pupils, not a right, and the behavior contract would spell out the consequences of misbehavior at such events, Webb said.

The child could be suspended from school for two weeks but would be suspended from attending or participating in any extracurricular activity, she said, noting that the ban could run for six months or a year.

The contract is being drafted by school administrators now, Webb said.

“Everyone has to understand they have a responsibility,” she said, adding that she was pleased to learn that parents at the Chaney-East basketball game helped maintain control and aided in preventing the fight from escalating. The majority of the pupils in attendance drew her praise as well, as she pointed out they did what they were expected to do in those circumstances.

Many of the parents at the game came up to school administrators afterward to ask what they can do to help, she added.

The district needs to tell the pupils that misbehavior is not an option, said Shelley Murray, school board president.

gwin@vindy.com