Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey recently held a press conference to address concerns regarding student discipline in Brevard Public Schools. School Board Chairman Matt Susin also spoke during the press conference.

“[Misbehaving students] know nothing is going to happen to them,” Ivey said. “They won’t get after-school detention and they will not get suspended.”

Principal Rick Fleming said the district frequently revisits its discipline policy.

“About five or six years ago there was a change to discipline,” he said. “This plan tried to add more consequences even though it has been heavily altered since.”

Fleming said discipline-management problems aren’t unique to Brevard Public Schools.

“It is a widespread federal issue, so every district is trying to gain a handle on it,” he said. “We can blame it on a lot of things like COVID-19 and all of those days students missed, but it is an ongoing problem no matter what.”

Fleming said West Shore doesn’t experience the same level of discipline issues as other schools.

Nearby Eau Gallie High, one of the district’s larger schools, hass seen its fair share of behavior issues, and Principal Salmon watched the sheriff’s press conference with interest.

“The optics of that news conference were not well-received by the community,” he said.  “While the sheriff does not play a role in classroom discipline in the public school system, he does play a significant role in the actions taken when someone breaks the law, and all too often laws are being broken inside the classroom, on buses and on school property.”

Salmon said improving student behavior might require better communication.

“To correct discipline, site-based management decisions that follow a district discipline policy is the best approach,” he said. “I think there is a perception that administrators are constrained by the current ladder in regard to the level of consequence that can be given for any particular offense.”

By Trey Hatter