Woodland Hills School District Hires Dean Of Students

WOODLAND HILLS (KDKA) -- A local school district is stepping up its efforts to deal with unruly students. The Woodland Hills School District has hired a dean of students to help deal with behavioral issues.

The Woodland Hills School District was realigned for the 2015-2016 school year. That meant some schools closed, others reopened with a new, different population. Now, three months into the school year, it's clear the district is going through growing pains from kindergarten through high school.

This year, there are 1,700 students at Woodland Hills High School, and it's now 7th grade through 12th grade. Last year, there were 1,100 kids in 9th grade through 12th grade. That's why there's now a dean of students.

"What they really focus on are those routine disciplinary matters that come up every day," Woodland Hills superintendent Alan Johnson said. "Students late for school, students late to class, students skipping class, students skipping lunch and minor disruptions."

This is a district that relies heavily on busing. That, too, creates new challenges. So as early as next week, teachers could soon be moving from the classroom onto a school bus to help set the tone for the day. It's called the "Peaceful Bus Program."

It's an established curriculum that looks at the bus as a chance to learn," Johnson said, "and you engage the students and help them understand what are their responsibilities as a rider on the bus."

The superintendent recognizes that school year has been tough so far, for students and teachers. Financial constraints have forced changes in a district struggling to keep up.

"It's been a learning and growing experience because now we understand there are things we need to do differently," Johnson said.

Recently, teachers from Woodland Hills' Edgewood Primary School reported that they had been assaulted by students from kindergarten to third grade. The district has put Principal Reginald Hickman on lave and put in place a new acting principal.

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