LTHS Violated State Discipline Report Rule: Official

LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School failed to produce a required plan to deal with racial disparities in discipline in 2018, an official acknowledged Monday.

Under the law, an Illinois school district must create such a plan after three years in a row of being in the top 20 percent of districts with racial gaps in discipline.

The school was supposed to have turned in the document in 2018, but did not do so.

On Monday, the school board reviewed a plan that the school plans to submit to the state. Upon questioning, Superintendent Brian Waterman said it was the first such plan submitted by the school.

Board member Jill Beda Daniels wanted to know why there was no report in 2018, which is when the school would have first been required to submit one.

"Because this was not presented in 2018," Waterman said.

"What do you mean by presented?" member Julie Swinehart asked.

"This was not presented to the board of education in 2018 at the end of the first three-year cycle," Waterman said.

"But it was presented to the state?" Daniels inquired.

Waterman said, "It was not board-approved in 2018."

"What does that mean?" Daniels said.

Waterman said, "In 2018, when we were on the list for the third time, it was not presented to the board for board approval. So we did not do it."

Daniels asked whether a consequence existed for such a violation.

"There wasn't one," Waterman said. "We were notified again this year that it had to be approved by June 1."

In 2018, Tim Kilrea was superintendent, while Waterman was the school's principal. Waterman took the helm in the summer of 2021.