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New rules for an old problem

By Tara Fasol, The Southern

Thursday, January 10, 2008 10:26 PM CST

ZEIGLER - A new Illinois law requires districts to address an old schoolyard problem, bullying.

Franklin-Williamson Regional Superintendent of Schools Matt Donkin said the policy offers a chance for school officials to be proactive about a problematic issue.

"What this does is give schools a chance to think about and put into place a policy to deal with something that they have always dealt with, and that is bullying," he said. "It's always easier to think about things in a cooler moment rather than right in the middle of it when you are trying to address the issue."

Zeigler-Royalton Community Unit School District school board members recently met in committee to round out its bullying policy after legislators passed the requirement for each district to have the policy.

"The whole school district is going to have a copy of the policy," Superintendent George Wilkerson said. "We just had our committee meeting last night. We have had a first reading at a school board meeting in December."

The first reading went well, Wilkerson said, and the public is invited to read the policy before a vote is taken on Jan. 23.

"Bullying, intimidation, and harassment diminish a student's ability to learn and a school's ability to educate," the policy states.

The policy continues to say that "preventing" students from participating in bullying and disruptive behavior is a district goal.

"Basically, legislation from Springfield requires that all districts have a plan in place," Wilkerson said.

He said his district does not experience a significant number of bullying complaints but added the problem does occur.

The policy defines hazing, aggressive behavior and physical or psychological harm as forms of bullying. Any use of violence, force, noise, coercion, threats, intimidation, fear harassment, bullying or hazing is also banned under the new policy.

As for punishment, Wilkerson said the policy does not spell out specific disciplinary action.

"We're going to leave that up to our principals," he said. "I think that's just one of those things where we have to have our base plan. I'm going to let my principals make the decisions at first. If we need to make a certain punishment, the punishment should fit the crime. What level of bullying are we talking about?"

tara.fasol@thesouthern.com/351-5824