Jennifer Shepherd, a social worker with the Washington County School District, told the board Oct. 13 that a district-run critical behavior support program has expanded and is returning students with high behavioral needs to their home schools.

"None of us believe there's such thing as a bad kid. It's just kids missing skills," Shepherd said while describing the program's approach of targeted skill teaching, staff coaching, and family and school reintegration. Shepherd said the original elementary classroom at Hurricane Elementary grew into a districtwide unit now operating at Arrowhead with four classrooms.

Shepherd said the program received 24 referrals last year and already had 24 referrals by mid‑October this year. She reported a 75% success rate last year and that current data show some measures at "100% on positive behavior," reflecting the program's early results.

The program places students for about 30 to 45 days, provides daily social skills instruction and multisensory "BrainLab" activities developed by Shepherd, and pairs district behavior technicians with school staff for ongoing training. Shepherd described a high-touch model: "We will never leave you ... I love you and I'm here for you," she said, quoting staff affirmations used with students.

Shepherd told the board that most referred students are not life‑skills students but present oppositional defiant disorder, mood dysregulation, conduct disorder or ADHD; many can communicate and benefit from targeted interventions. The program is expanding with plans to open a pilot for sixth‑ through eighth‑grade students and to provide staff exchanges so school-based behavior technicians receive hands‑on training.

Board members asked for more detail on capacity and waitlists. Shepherd said the program keeps small cohorts (ideally fewer than 10 students per unit) to ensure staff can safely and effectively support students who sometimes present with severe behaviors, and that the program maintains a short waiting list.

The board did not take action but thanked Shepherd for the presentation and said the district should continue monitoring outcomes and staffing needs as the program expands.