Rhode Island District Makes Safety Changes After Complaints about Middle School

Rhode Island District Makes Safety Changes After Complaints about Middle School

Police had been called to the campus 18 times as of Feb. 1, and police reports showed that a teacher was hurt in October while trying to stop a fight between two students. In early February the school committee voted to create a subcommittee focused on the problems at the school.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • February 27, 2019

Bristol-Warren Regional School District plans to make changes to campus security and safety after complaints about safety and “unruly student behavior” at Kickemuit Middle School.

The plans include hiring a school resource officer and maintaining a police presence on campus, WPRI reported. The middle school will also keep a behavioral specialist on campus five days a week.

The changes were announced at a school committee meeting Monday, during which a special subcommittee on the safety and security of Kickemuit Middle School released a list of proposals to address complaints made by parents, students and staff.

Safety and behavioral problems led to a large number of teachers calling out sick in late January, prompting the district to cancel classes. Police had been called to the campus 18 times as of Feb. 1, and police reports showed that a teacher was hurt in October while trying to stop a fight between two students.

In early February the school committee voted to create a subcommittee focused on the problems at the school.

District Superintendent Dr. Mario Andrade said Monday that the subcommittee would be putting together a “multi-tiered support system” in the next few weeks.

Lawrence Purtill, President of the National Education Association of Rhode Island, said the changes were a move in the right direction but would not be a quick fix.

“What you're going through is not unlike what a lot of school districts are going through,” Purtill said. “Fifty-percent of our students coming into our schools today in almost all grades are having issues. So the mental health concerns and the discipline concerns need to be addressed.”

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

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