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Bernie schools add ISS program

By Tyler Profilet - bio | email

BERNIE, MO (KFVS) - The Bernie School District has been sending its students who are in trouble to Malden to their alternative school for in school suspension.  But now, with the new ISS program, they'll be able to settle minor incidents in house.

 "You can take them over for a couple of hours if it's on campus. If it's in Malden, you have to wait until the next day," said Bernie Superintendent John Boyd.

But the school board has decided to start its own in school suspension program next year, something school officials say is needed.

"We have an immediate response to kids who might have a minor discipline issue," said Bernie High School Principal Chuck Marcum.

The ISS room will be in an old storage room.

Boyd says the district hasn't determined how many students they will have in the ISS room on a daily basis, but he expects maybe two or three. 

Boyd also hopes having the students and actual teachers on campus will increase productivity by students.

"By the time the assignment gets back to the teacher, if it's on campus, the teacher will have a little bit of input if they're having trouble," Boyd said.  "Right now, with the way it is with it being in Malden, the teacher gets the assignment back after it's completed."

"Their lessons are here, we don't have to worry about transporting them, we don't have to worry about whether they do them or not because they're right here being monitored by one of our staff members," Marcum said.  

The district has not determined if they will hire a full-time staff member to monitor the ISS class, and hopes to have that decision in a couple of weeks.

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