The number of suspensions handed down to students at both the elementary and secondary levels at the public school board is falling.
Superintendent of Education at the Greater Essex County District School Board, Sharon Pyke says suspensions were down 6% in the 2014-2015 and the 2015-2016 school years.
She says there are several reasons why. Several new programs have been introduced including one called "Zones of Regulation" which teaches students to become more self-aware and regulate their own emotions.
Pyke says there's also a greater emphasis put on mental health at schools.
"We have social workers that are attached to schools that help out staff members in terms of understanding students and behaviour," she says. "Also, child and youth workers in most schools."
However, Pyke will quickly tell you more work needs to be done.
"We're always looking for alternatives. We're working with our community partners and looking at different types of things that we could be offering and collaborating on," Pyke says.
Unfortunately, there's no way to compare the results at the public school board here with other boards across Ontario. Pyke says different school boards will collect the data differently and province-wide data for 2016 still is not available.
She says it is important to bring suspension rates down because of the time students spend outside the classroom, although they are assigned homework. It's also hard for parents who may be pressed to find child care on short notice.