During a recent hearing before the New Hampshire Senate Education Committee, State Board of Education Chair Drew Cline made a revealing observation: the State Board has seen an increase in the number of bullying-related appeals brought by parents. This trend deserves serious attention.
When a student experiences bullying at school, parents sometimes request a “manifest educational hardship” placement so their child can transfer to another school. In many cases, local administrators or school boards deny these requests. Families can then appeal to the State Board of Education, which has the authority to either uphold the district’s decision or grant the transfer.
According to Cline, the number of these appeals has increased significantly in the years following COVID-19. The obvious question is: why?
One possible explanation lies in how schools have changed their approach to student discipline and behavior. After the pandemic, many districts adopted a behavioral framework known as the Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Behavior (MTSS-B). This three-tiered model is intended to help students who are struggling with behavioral issues. The first tier focuses on social and emotional learning for all students. If problematic behavior continues, the second tier involves intervention from school counselors or staff. The final tier often includes referrals to outside providers who work with the student on behavioral challenges.
While the goal of this framework is to support students before problems escalate, the practical result in many schools has been a shift away from traditional consequences. Teachers and counselors are often expected to address misconduct through redirection, counseling, and behavioral interventions rather than disciplinary action.
In some cases, these strategies can work. But in others, students quickly realize that pushing boundaries does not necessarily lead to meaningful consequences. When that happens, the classroom environment can deteriorate, and other students—particularly those targeted by bullying—bear the cost.
A local example illustrates the concern. At Winnacunnet High School, the district increased its budget by $100,000 a few years ago so that students who might previously have been suspended or expelled could attend programming through Seacoast Youth Services. Instead of facing traditional discipline, students are now sent to this outside program at taxpayer expense.
The question that should naturally follow is: does this approach work?
When I asked members of the Joint Board how the district would measure the outcomes of this program, I received no clear answer. How will success be evaluated? Will the district track whether these students return to school and continue the same behavior? Will teachers and administrators report whether the interventions actually improve conduct?
These are not unreasonable questions. In fact, they are essential if taxpayers and families are to have confidence in the system.
Some teachers have already expressed concern that certain students treat these interventions as a joke. If that perception is accurate, then the program may be sending exactly the wrong signal—that disruptive behavior carries few real consequences.
Meanwhile, the State Board of Education is seeing a rising number of bullying appeals from parents seeking relief for their children.
The connection may not be coincidental.
If the number of bullying incidents serious enough to reach the State Board is increasing, policymakers and education leaders should be asking difficult but necessary questions. Are current behavioral frameworks achieving their intended results? Are schools equipped to manage increasingly complex behavioral issues? And are we ensuring that the rights and safety of well-behaved students are protected?
The Keene School Board is going in another direction due to the increase in behavior problems in that district. The board voted to reinstate suspensions and expulsions to correct ongoing safety and behavioral issues at the high school.
Schools exist first and foremost to educate students in a safe environment. Support systems for struggling students are important, but they cannot come at the expense of order, accountability, and the well-being of others.
The growing number of bullying appeals suggests something in the system may not be working as intended. Instead of guessing why this trend is occurring, education leaders should commit to examining the evidence honestly and transparently.
Parents, teachers, and students deserve nothing less.
