As citywide discussion around juvenile crime continues, the superintendent of the Lewiston Public Schools shared this week the ways the district is addressing student safety through prevention, intervention and community support.

Since April, the Lewiston Police Department has reported an uptick in juvenile crime. In response, officials across city departments are brainstorming ways to help the problem. 

Superintendent Jake Langlais shared at Monday’s school committee meeting that Lewiston schools already have a few programs for conduct in place through a partnership with Tree Street Youth.

Data from those pilot programs from the 2024-25 academic year show they have been a success, he said. 

The district will use its systems of support and continued collaboration through grants with Tree Street Youth to address behaviors and conduct in the upcoming school year, Langlais said. 

Tree Street Youth is a nonprofit organization that formed in 2011 and operates at 144 Howe St. It supports over 1,200 young people annually, according to a report from the program. The community organization first partnered with the Lewiston schools in 2014.

SUCCESS IN PARTNERSHIPS

Over the 2024-25 school year, the partnership launched or expanded four pilot programs that served around 700 middle and high school students. Findings shared by the district showed that academic scores improved and incident reports declined. 

Each program — RootED, OWL, BRANCHES, and TreeSource — targets a different need and age through social emotional support, building skills, or safe spaces for students.

The goal is to reduce any potential conflict or incidents before they arise. 

In OWL, an intervention program for middle school students needing academic or social and emotional support, findings shared by Tree Street and Lewiston Public Schools show a 69% decline in behavior incidents, 48% reduction in suspensions, and graduation likelihood went from 69% to 78% in the 2024-25 academic year.

In BRANCHES at Lewiston middle and high schools, the district demonstrated its strongest academic growth in 10 years by offering ongoing support through “safe spaces” that provide an area for students to receive tutoring, goal-setting or problem-solving. 

TreeSource is targeted support for fourth grade students at Montello Elementary School over a 10-week period with community-based youth staff. The partnership reported a 53% reduction in behavior incidents during the two-hour block staff was there, 58% decrease in incidents on the TreeSource days and 65% reduction in incidents after the program.

RootED PROGRAM

The RootED Program serves as an alternative expulsion program, providing responsive assistance to each student.

RootED works with students on what they need to get back into school. They may go hiking, work on social and emotional skills, or participate in community projects. 

Lewiston Public Schools has a code of conduct that students are expected to adhere to. Langlais works with a student to determine the best course of action for their behavior, which could include an expulsion hearing conducted by the school committee.

If a student is expelled, there is a reentry plan, which could include the RootED program or community service. A reentry plan can depend on the student’s academic performance, their prior conduct record, if any, and their independent needs. 

“We don’t just sign a paper and tell them to come back,” Langlais said. 

In the past year, over 20 students reentered through the RootED program after being expelled from the school department. Only one student re-offended after going through the program, Langlais said, and when students returned, the schools saw a 48% decrease in office referrals.

The school department also saw an overall decrease in incident reports, Langlais said.

Moving forward, Chairperson Phoenix McLaughlin encouraged school committee members to think about what may be missing from the approach.