An audit that primarily examined behavioral issues at Moreau Heights Elementary School found problems with leadership and inconsistent processes, as well as communications and chain-of-command issues that cause an appearance of "disjointedness" in the district.
However, it also found while some of the reported behavior incidents leading to the audit did occur, the public perception of the incidents often was distorted. Also, many, if not all of the incidents, resulted in discipline.
Also, the level of discipline imposed was fairly consistent among the elementary schools, the audit said.
The Jefferson City School District Board of Education released the report's executive summary during a Monday evening news conference. The full report was not released because it identifies specific individuals. Board President John Ruth commented on behalf of the board, saying the board met about the audit earlier in the day to approve the findings and bring "some finality."
"Ultimately, the question of why we went through this process was to get better," Ruth said. "So as we focus on learning what we did and developing a road map for where we want to be in the process of continuous improvement, it was important that" we started here.
Demographic changes - the majority of students now qualify for free or reduced lunches at what was historically an affluent school - and high turnover of teachers and staff at Moreau Heights have contributed to the problems, the audit found.
"All of these factors created at Moreau Heights are what interviewees universally refer to as the "perfect storm,'" the audit said.
The audit recommended reviewing policies and training, and suggested the district should educate the staff and community about the district's "obligations to educate all students on equal terms and in the least restrictive environment possible."
The Board of Education in November hired Kansas City law firm Guin Mundorf to conduct the audit at Moreau Heights. The scope of the audit expanded into more of the district during the process. It has paid the firm close to $39,000 to date.
Shellie Guin, who primarily conducted the study, summarized its key points at the news conference.
"Going through this type of process isn't something anyone wants to do, but at times it can create an opportunity for different stakeholders to come together with a common mission," she said, adding she's seen that develop through the process.
She said she found an "earnest and genuine commitment" of those involved to take responsibility for the findings and commit to improvements, as well as to celebrate the good things the audit found.
Other findings/conclusions of the audit were:
• A prevalent belief among some parents and staff that students who exhibited disruptive behaviors should be excluded from the regular education environment.
• The district's policies and regulations regarding student discipline and the use of seclusion, isolation and restraint are generally appropriate and legally compliant.
• The district's annual training regarding discipline policies is legally compliant.
• Behavior interventions were not implemented consistently and with a high degree of fidelity at the school, which adversely impacted the effectiveness of behavior management.
• Staff accountability and building leadership issues have significantly impacted the implementation of a behavior management system at the school, which contributed to student behavior issues there.
• Moreau Heights experienced significant leadership changes - five principals in seven years.
• The school has been provided with more district-level support for student behavior issues than any other elementary building.
• Classroom evacuations at the school have not been inappropriate or persistent.
• The use of "transitional classrooms" - used to transition problem students back to regular classrooms through intense social skills training and a high level of behavior support- were not stifled by the administration.
• Violations of confidentiality in disclosing student information occurred at the school.
Guin Mundorf was hired after an Oct. 13 board meeting in which some parents raised concerns about disruptive students at Moreau Heights and other parents pleaded for understanding of special education students' rights and needs.
After being hired in November, Guin presented her findings to the board in mid-April at the district's central offices. According to her online profile, Guin has more than 19 years of experience practicing in the area of education law.
According to the contract the district signed, the firm's rates range between $120 per hour for a paralegal to $230 per hour for Guin's service.
The school district plans to post the executive summary of the audit on its website.