Ann @(c?ic?l 

At the school board?s request, I completed a review of the district?s response to events that
occurred during the high school football seasons of 2011 and 2012. As reported by the media, five
students eventually answered to criminal charges stemming from incidents occurring during both

of those seasons.

Historically, the football program was run independently of the high school until the Vermont
Principals Association ruled that it be removed from the control of the Boosters and placed under
the jurisdiction of the high school. The adults who oversaw the football programs of 2011 and
2012 are no longer af?liated with the Milton town school district. The students responsible for
the criminal acts are no longer in the Milton town school district. Hindsight is 20/20; when high
school administrators heard what was reported as misconduct on the football team, they responded
to the information they had, pursuant to what they understood their duties were in such

circumstances at the time.

How do we undertake to reassure the community that nothing like the events of 2011 and 2012

will ever happen again?
Multiple strategies have already been implemented and more are planned.

The school board has taken direct actions aimed at ensuring that students and programs are
properly supervised, including adding guidance staff during the summer and hiring a full time
athletic director. The school resource officer position has been maintained despite dif?cult

financial times. The ?block house? is no longer used except to store equipment.

The school board recently adopted a new policy and procedure for the prevention and investigation
of hazing, harassment, and bullying. Starting this fall, all staff will receive annual training in the

policy and all of those responsible for investigations will be trained to use the procedure. The

policy and procedure will be printed in student handbooks. They are already posted on the
district?s web site (F 24 and F24P).

On April 27, a group of eight district counselors and administrators attended a day-long training
on the state policy and procedure for hazing, harassment, and bullying. As one of the attendees, I

noted the emphasis on the need to always focus our efforts on prevention.

The culture of an organization is built ?om the assumptions, expectations, habits and norms that
de?ne how we treat each other, or how we do business. Ensuring a positive, supportive culture

requires deliberate and sustained attention.

The district plans to launch a sustained focus on maintaining a healthy culture characterized by
reSpect and caring. The faculty summer read and follow up activities will be signi?cantly focused
on culture. Next fall we hope to have an audit of the culture completed and a follow up presentation
for faculty and staff. The objectives of the audit are to assess the current culture and identify areas
to work on. The goals we want to achieve are agreements about high expectations for students

and adults including goals for learning and how we treat each other.

When I visit the high school, I see and hear indicators of a strong and healthy school culture.
Interactions among adults and students are respectful. I have never heard an adult speak or act
inappropriately to a student. Nor have I heard students speak inappropriately to adults or to each
other. I look forward to my visits there, and am con?dent and optimistic with regard to the culture
at the high school and Within the entire district, as our current school year nears its end, and we

look forward to 2016-17.