South Bend Community Schools to take on discipline disparities

SOUTH BEND, Ind.— “Team South Bend’s” newest team player is looking forward to big wins for the district’s students.

Early August, Nathan Boyd was named director of African American Student and Parent Services of South Bend Community School Corporation.

One week into the new job, he’s already looking to tackle some troubling numbers in the district.

“We are going to start some work with our administrators first and have some very tough discussions about our numbers,” said Boyd.

The last disciplinary report from the district two years ago shows black students made up 62 percent of out of school suspensions.

By the numbers, that’s about 12,952 total days out of school.

Correcting district-wide disparities in discipline will be a major focus for his office.

“It’s something that we can all see the negative impact it has not only in our schools, our community and on our children,” said Boyd.

One of the area’s top principals is taking on that task.

Boyd started in the district, working his way up to principal of LaSalle Intermediate before jumping districts to PHM’s to lead Grissom Middle School in 2013.

While there, he was recognized as state middle school principal of the year.

He’s now surrounding himself with a team inside the South Bend Community School Corporation’s administration building that will help him fight for the community outside of it.

“The past five days, we’ve been able to work together and come to conclusion and solutions that I think are best for children,” he said.

Doing what’s best for students and parents is his goal.

Because he says “Team South Bend” has to be champions for the district’s children.

“We have to get kids in the class, we’ve got to have kids learning,” he said. “And that’s a top priority.”