Discipline Issues Rise At Lyons Township High

LA GRANGE, IL – Disciplinary issues increased by more than 25 percent last school year at Lyons Township High School, according to a new report.

The number of behavioral referrals spiked to 3,147, up from 2,512.

Asked about that this week, Principal Jennifer Tyrrell said increases often result from priorities in enforcement.

Last school year, teachers focused on making sure phones were out of the hands of students during class, she said.

"Cellphones in the classroom will not be a part of the instructional environment," Tyrrell told the school board. "Sometimes when you focus on something and you're doing it collectively as a group, you'll see an increase in numbers. We would expect that."

For much of the last decade, Lyons Township High has been in the top 20 percent of schools for racial disproportionality in discipline.

In 2023-24, the high school ranked 21st out of 442 districts for its racial disparity. But last year, the high school was no longer in the top 20 percent, officials reported.

If the school continues that trend for three years in a row, it will no longer have to produce an annual improvement plan to the state.

Last school year, the school introduced "restorative intervention rooms," which were intended to reduce the racial gap. The program is being credited for the drop in racial disproportionality.

The intervention rooms are designed to give students opportunities to take responsibility for their actions and work to repair the harm that has occurred. Students can also receive academic help there, according to the school.

As a result, the school only reported a handful of out-of-school suspensions, a big drop from before.

At the board meeting, board President Tim Albores said he liked the new program.

"(Students) are really building that restorative practice and learning from mistakes, rather than sitting at home watching Jerry Springer," Albores said.