Iowa City high school students engaged in fighting, physical aggression will learn online for up to 60 days

IOWA CITY — Iowa City high school students who are involved in a second or third physical fight, assault or act of physical aggression will have to attend school online for 30 to 60 school days under a new district policy.

The Iowa City Community School District implemented the new policy after seeing the number of students suspended almost double from 2021 to 2022. In fall 2021, there were 23 in-school suspensions and 97 out of school suspensions. This past fall, there were 40 in-school suspensions and 176 out of school suspensions.

A student who participates in one physical fight, assault or act of physical aggression will sign a behavior contract. The terms of the contract will address issues that led to the student’s “unsafe and inappropriate behavior and empower the student to avoid future disciplinary measures,” Superintendent Matt Degner wrote in an email to families on Oct. 31 when the policy was announced.

A student who participates in a second offense will be referred to the district’s online learning program for 30 school days. A third offense will require the student to learn online for 60 school days.

ICCSD Online is a permanent virtual learning school in the Iowa City Community School District that launched in fall 2021. Live, virtual instruction is offered by district teachers. There are currently 180 students enrolled in the program.

While a student is in the online learning program, their grades will be “frozen” so they won’t be “hurt academically,” Degner said. If they do well in the online learning program, that will reflect in their grades when they return in person.

Oftentimes, students who engage in fighting in school are not having academic success, Degner said. “What we're seeing is fighting and physical aggression is currently getting in the way of students’ academic success,” he said.

The policy allows the district to continue to educate students while addressing their behavior concerns, Degner said. A team of educators in the student’s school building and in the online learning program will work collaboratively to assess their mental health needs and create a school reentry plan, Degner said.

The policy did not require school board approval; however, Degner said he did let board members know before changing the policy and felt the board was supportive.

In the October email to families, Degner encouraged adults to talk to their children about the new policy. If they think the policy will be difficult to follow, ask them why, Degner said.

“The more we know about what makes it difficult for students not to engage in physical fighting and aggression, the more effective our interventions will be,” Degner said.

He also asked families to contact their school’s principal or administration of they are worried a student might participate in a fight. “We want to do everything we can to keep your student safe and in school,” Degner said. “If we can stop a fight before it happens, everyone wins.”

Degner said he would be concerned if “a significant number of students” ended up in online learning for violating the district’s policy regarding fighting. As of the end of November, only one student has been referred to online learning because of the policy, he said.

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