The Salmon River Central School District has been notified of multiple changes it must make in the wake of an investigation into the use of wooden “timeout” boxes in the district.
The New York State Education Department conducted a monitoring review, indicating in a letter to Interim Superintendent Ben Barkley that the district was non-compliant in multiple areas of its policies.
They include:
Timeout and physical restraint policies
Use of seclusion as intervention
Excessive use of physical restraints
Inadequate behavior intervention plans for students with disabilities
The education department also wrote that the district failed to notify parents.
The state has ordered the district to change its policies and special education practices by this fall and submit paperwork to demonstrate its compliance. Among other deadlines for changes to be made, the Salmon River district has to send a revised timeout/physical restraint policy to the state education department by June 30.
Meanwhile, the state’s conclusions differ from the findings released by an outside firm by the school district, which showed on some occasions students chose to go to the boxes, were not locked inside, and not used to punish or restrain students.
The district said it has already conducted cultural sensitivity and awareness training, as well as brought in a special education consultant to aid in procedural review and improvements.
“We recognize the impact this situation had on students, families, staff and the broader school community,” Barkley said in a statement from the district after the NYSED’s letter was released. “Our focus has been on making the necessary changes to strengthen our practices and better support students moving forward.”
In December, photos of the timeout boxes and public outcry began spreading online. Since then, the district has appointed Barkley as temporary superintendent and appointed an acting elementary school principal.
The family of an 8-year-old is taking legal action, saying their son was placed in one of the boxes. The incident allegedly took place at Saint Regis Mohawk School in Akwesasne.