

The principal of Bennington Elementary College has introduced she will resign at the close of the university yr. Elizabeth Grunberg’s choice will come amid ongoing issue about pupil mental wellness and actions in the college and district.
“Being the principal of Bennington Elementary Faculty has been a wonderful privilege, and priceless discovering knowledge,” Grunberg wrote in a Jan. 3 letter to the Southwest Vermont Unified Elementary University District board. “I am grateful for the prospect and will cherish the time I put in with the Bennington Elementary group. Having said that, it is time for me to transfer onto my subsequent challenge.”
Grunberg advised faculty board customers that she would go away at the conclude of her deal on June 30. In an email to VTDigger, she declined to remedy concerns about her final decision.
“This is a personal and specialist selection,” she wrote. “I like the interactions I’ve created with learners, staff and the group. I wish anyone the finest of luck relocating ahead.”
Katie West, a spokesperson for the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union, reported the supervisory union could not remark on personnel matters.
Bennington Elementary College was the issue of a VTDigger investigation previous thirty day period detailing the school’s struggles to deal with students’ psychological well being and behavior.
That investigation identified that, from September 2021 by means of Oct 2022, police have been named to the school virtually 20 situations for pupil behavioral concerns. Police reports received through a public documents request lose gentle on a variety of troubling incidents.
In just one October 2022 incident, law enforcement had been identified as to respond to a scholar who experienced produced a threat — only to conclusion up addressing a various scholar, who was creating profane and violent threats and was “out of control,” according to a police report.
That pupil was cited with disorderly carry out in spouse and children courtroom, in accordance to the report.
In that incident, which has not been earlier claimed, Grunberg “expressed stress with deficiency of support in hoping to deal with the students and their behavioral difficulties,” in the text of the officer.
James Culkeen, the superintendent of the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union, claimed at a Jan. 10 meeting of the Southwest Vermont Unified Elementary Faculty District board that schools there — and throughout the point out — “are dealing with these boy or girl habits problems that are escalated, elevated, in a way that we have not found in the earlier.”
District administrators are doing work to increase sources for students struggling with their mental well being.
Officers with the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union have set up a facility in the previous Beech Road Faculty developing on South Stream Road to present short-term mental wellness help for battling learners. The Bennington Banner noted on the facility before this thirty day period.
That facility is meant to give quick-phrase scientific assistance, counseling and training to students who need it, Kate Abbott, the supervisory union’s director of college student expert services, reported at the board assembly.
Even though “the large majority” of students have no behavioral considerations, Abbott stated, “we have a really little percentage of young children that have some important trauma, or that are doing the job by way of some challenges suitable now with their mental health.”
The facility, which Abbott known as the Beech Road Middle, is meant to serve about 15 college students at a time and has 3 staff assigned to it.
Supervisory union officers declined to give far more facts about how the facility is staffed, citing privateness considerations. West, the spokesperson for the supervisory union, explained that extra facts about the program would before long be available.
“It’s a excellent start,” Culkeen said at the Jan. 10 conference. “And so critical. But I will continue to keep you current as this transition site progresses.”
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