A report heading before the Waterloo Region District School Board trustees on Monday night shows yet another increase in bad student behaviour.
In the fourth quarter of the 2023-24 academic year, incidents rose by 176 in elementary schools and 15 in secondary schools when compared to the same time period the previous year.
Statistics show elementary student incidents were up by 204 in the third quarter, as well.
A total of 826 incidents were reported from April to June, with 786 coming in elementary schools and 40 in secondary schools. It's an increase from 610 and 25 in 2023.
"The Board continues to experience significant staffing challenges," the report reads.
"The Board continues to endeavour to staff schools given high issues of absenteeism within the system and is actively pursuing alternative approaches for emergency staffing. Unforeseen and unplanned disruption continues to impact the delivery of education for students within our system."
Incidents are tracked and recorded in four categories: hazards, first aid, health care or medical aid and lost time.
A hazard results in no injuries or a near miss, first aid requires minor medical attention being applied to an injury, health care or medical aid involves a worker sustaining an injury requiring treatment from an external health care practitioner and lost time means a worker missed work due to an injury.
Of the combined 826 reported incidents, 565 fell under the hazard category, while 10 required health care treatment and 16 resulted in lost time.
In regards to staff members, 456 were reported against Educational Assistant or Child and Youth Worker.
The Committee of the Whole meeting is tonight at 7 p.m.
