By NEIL ZOLOT

 NORTH READING — A Peer Mediation program will be instituted at the High School in the upcoming year under the direction of Assistant Principal BarriAnn Alonzo. Richard Cohen of School Mediation Associates will train 10 students in August.

“We want students to take on the responsibility of holding each other accountable and are excited to give them these tools,” Alonzo told the School Committee Monday night.

Topics will range from “Repairing and Restoring Relationships” and “Building and Maintaining a Community” to “Empowering Students” and “Implementing Alternative Remedies.” Alonzo also explained that the student training would cover how to ask questions that are not accusatory.

NRHS Principal Anthony Loprete added that students will not be able to request mediators who have not been through this training process.

Changes to Student Handbook

In other School Committee business, some minor adjustments were made to the High School Student/Parent Handbook. Among them, the word “interpret” has been added to “literal and analytical comprehension” under Academic Expectations that “Students Read Actively and Critically and Students Listen Effectively and Critically.”

In addition, “kindness and consideration” have been added to “demonstrating respect” under “Civic and Social Expectations.” Kindness and consideration replace the word “tolerance,” which Loprete stated was an outdated term.

Unexcused absences

The handbook will also include slightly different language regarding absences, specifically “absence due to family trips and vacations are not considered excused absences. This includes trips taken for competitions, tournaments and contests, athletic or otherwise, with organizations outside of North Reading High School.”

Due to the availability and expense of accommodations during vacations weeks, some families choose to travel during low peak “off weeks.”

Absences prohibited 26 out of 124 students (20.9%) in the NRHS Class of 2024 from the senior final exam exemption. The prior two graduating classes were larger but had lower percentages of unexcused absences and therefore lower percentages of seniors were deemed ineligible for the final exam exemption due to absences.

The NRHS Class of 2023 had 174 students but only 11 (6.3%) were ineligible for the final exam exemption. The NRHS Class of 2022 had 162 students, but only 25 (15.4%) were ineligible due to absences.

“We did not make the progress we were hoping for,” Loprete admitted.

Improved AP test scores

Better news came from the results of Advanced Placement Exam data in the 2023-24 school year. A total of 85.4% of students taking such tests – 386 in all – scored 3 or higher, which was an improvement from 80.6% in 2022-23 and 76.7% in 2021-22.

“I applaud the changes to the core values,” School Committee member Tim Sutherland said regarding the alterations and additions to the high school handbook and other items.

“I like the mediation as well,” Chairman Scott Buckley added.