05-03-2025
Rockford Schools Code of Conduct updated to prevent bullying
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Public Schools District 205 announced updates to its 2025-2026 Student Code of Conduct, including changes to bullying prevention and intervention.
RPS has been called out by parents to hire additional support staff after 11-year-old Jalyah Thompson took her own life. Thompson's family said she was bullied at school and the issues weren't resolved.
In the existing code of conduct, when students are bullied, they can submit interventions through a site called Panorama.
Director of Student Support David Graffy said he thinks Panorama works.
'Anybody who interacts with that student at the school, whether that be a classroom teacher or support staff personnel, can look at what interventions that student has,' Graffy said. 'That helps us get multiple sets of eyes on a student and be able to meet them where their needs are.'
The RPS 205 Committee of the Whole met Tuesday night to discuss updates and changes to the conduct.
One major update is the introduction of Victim Impact Statements, where students can describe the emotional and physical impact they may have suffered during the incident.
'I know these types of statements are also common in court cases and those kinds of things,' Graffy explained. 'At the end of the day, we want everybody to understand how their behavior affects others, and we thought that this would be a useful tool to help facilitate those conversations.'
NAACP Rockford Branch 3028 released a statement Tuesday night regarding Jalyah Thompson.
'This is not a tragedy, it is a failure,' President George Scott wrote. 'This is more than a wake=up call, it is a demand for action. Schools must be a safe haven, not a battleground where children suffer in silence.'
At Tuesday's meeting, board member Nicole Bennett asked to add escorting students to the conduct.
'I wondered if, since it's an intervention that could potentially be used to ensure safety of a student, so me to feel safe in a situation maybe be escorted, it could be an intervention in addition to a corrective,' Bennett. 'I didn't know if that could be continued to be added back.'
Graffy said he listened to the board's insights and will continue to make changes.
'After hearing your comments, I could see how that would be beneficial from the victim's standpoint to making them feel like they have a safe person that can walk with them through the school,' Graffy said.
The code of conduct will continue to be altered before final approval. The whole board will meet on March 18.
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