Springfield officials respond to report on disciplinary actions at schools

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - There’s reaction from Springfield Public Schools following the release of a report calling attention to disciplinary actions and arrests of students in the district. Citizens for Juvenile Justice said the numbers show inequality and they have called for a different approach in the schools.

“Black students make up less than 20 percent of the student body in Springfield Public Schools, but make up almost 50 percent of the students who are arrested over the last five years and we are really concerned about that number and we also felt, in talking to students, that they felt that Black students and Latino students are treated differently by school administration and school safety and police in their schools,” said Joshua Dankoff, director of strategic initiatives for Citizens for Juvenile Justice.

Dankoff was the lead author of the report and told us this report is a follow-up from 11 years ago. In response, Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Daniel Warwick told Western Mass News in a statement:

We shared those numbers with Dankoff who, in response, said the downtrend is promising, but that more action is still needed.

“Believe me, I am pleased about that and at the same time, I don’t think the work is over and I think is important to look at the data and talk to the young people in the schools to see how they are feeling about school safety and really respond to those needs and try to address some of the concerns, especially the data around arrests of Black and Latinx students,” Dankoff added.

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