The Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education reviewed updated student discipline data this week showing an increase in suspensions across the district in 2025-26, a shift administrators said reflects stronger enforcement and improved detection—particularly around vaping—rather than a significant change in student behavior.
The data, presented as part of the district’s Student Safety Data System (SSDS) report, showed 36 in-school suspensions and 44 out-of-school suspensions, with no expulsions recorded during the reporting period of the first half of the school year.
Assistant Superintendent Tana Smith said the increase is tied to a combination of factors, including more consistent enforcement, repeat offenses, and improved monitoring tools.
Vaping and enforcement driving increase
Smith told the board that a rise in drug and alcohol violations—particularly at the high school—is a major contributor to the increase in out-of-school suspensions.
“One of the reasons the high school believes that they’re seeing an increase… is because of stronger enforcement of our policies,” she said, pointing to expanded vape detectors and the use of SmartPass tracking to monitor student movement.
Those tools have made it easier for administrators to identify violations and connect incidents to specific students.
Smith said that while vaping itself does not always lead to the most serious consequences, it often leads to the discovery of additional violations.
“Vaping itself is not necessarily drugs and alcohol… but if there’s reason because of that vaping situation… and there is THC or cannabis,” she said, explaining how incidents can escalate.
The district is also seeing an increase in repeat offenses, particularly tied to substance use, as well as incidents involving multiple students or multiple violations at once.
Board presses on what the numbers actually mean
Board members used the discussion to dig into whether the increase reflects more incidents—or simply better detection.
Dr. Alex Reznik focused on the connection between vaping enforcement and more serious violations.
“We’re finding kids with vapes and then we find other things sufficiently often,” he said, confirming that vaping incidents frequently uncover additional infractions.
Vice President Dr. Pamela Lilleston said the data was surprising given the district’s investment in prevention and restorative practices.
“I think… we’re doing so much in this area… and I am just so surprised to see these numbers,” she said. “It really wasn’t what I expected.”
Lilleston suggested the board may need a deeper review of the data to better understand what is driving the trend and whether additional changes are needed.
Board member Dr. Jacquie Genovesi raised a key question about how the data is interpreted—whether the increase reflects more students or more incidents involving the same students.
“Do we have an increase in number of students as opposed to number of incidents?” she asked. “It might not be an escalation. It might be the same students with greater needs.”
After some discussion, Smith and the board decided that level of detail would require further discussion at the committee level.
Elementary incidents and multiple offenses also contributing
Administrators said the data includes several atypical factors.
Smith noted that this year included five elementary school students receiving out-of-school suspensions, which is not typical and contributed to the increase.
In other cases, single incidents involved multiple violations—such as fights that also included threats, profanity, or defiance—leading to longer suspensions.
“These would be multiple offenses in one situation,” Smith said.
District response focused on prevention and intervention
District officials said the response is not limited to discipline.
Smith outlined efforts to expand student support, including increased sessions with student assistance counselors, enhanced substance use education, and partnerships with local prevention organizations.
The district is also exploring new approaches, including a potential vape “take-back” program and expanded prevention curriculum.
Counseling supervisor Corrine Rutt detailed a wide range of existing supports, including mental health services, social-emotional learning programs, and partnerships with organizations such as the Hopewell Valley Municipal Alliance and Rutgers Behavioral Health.
Balancing accountability and support
Despite the increase in reported incidents, administrators emphasized that the data should be viewed in context.
The rise reflects, in part, improved detection and more consistent enforcement of the district’s code of conduct.
At the same time, officials acknowledged that substance use—particularly vaping—remains an ongoing concern.
Board President Anita Williams Galiano suggested that trends may shift over time and that further updates would be important as the year progresses.
“I think… there seems to be a shift to the more positive,” she said, adding that continued monitoring would help clarify whether the current increase is temporary or part of a longer-term trend.
What the SSDS report is
The Student Safety Data System (SSDS) is a statewide reporting system that tracks incidents related to violence, vandalism, substance use, and harassment in New Jersey schools.
Districts are required to submit the data annually, and reports are reviewed by boards of education and the state.
