Norwich — The MathCounts team at Kelly Middle School finished in the top third in the state last year, and the newly revived instrumental music band gave a rousing “Night at the Movies” concert in May.

But successes at the 700-student school have been overshadowed by the reputation that Kelly is unsafe and a student behavior nightmare for teachers and staff.

School officials and other city agencies agree that last year was difficult, with increased incidents, including fights, verbal confrontations, a few drug and alcohol incidents and two students in possession of knives.

Six students were expelled for the prescribed 180-day period. There were 108 out-of-school suspensions 194 in-school suspensions, involving 123 individual students.

In 2015-16, there were 164 in-school suspensions and 74 out-of-school suspensions, with many repeat offenders. Students in line for expulsion receive a mandatory 10-day out-of-school suspension at the start of their disciplinary period, Kelly Principal William Peckrul said.

Expelled students receive tutoring and “virtual learning” classes. Those on in-school suspension do schoolwork, get their lunch and bring it to the suspension room to eat.

Norwich Youth and Family Services works with students either arrested or at risk of entering the juvenile justice system. The agency worked with 27 Kelly Middle School students last school year either through the Juvenile Review Board in an effort to avoid the criminal process or through the Families with Service Needs for kids deemed at risk of future arrest.

Superintendent Abby Dolliver said the expulsions were up “a few more” last year, because “I got tougher,” in response to the deteriorating school climate. Any student proposed for expulsion was  presented with their parents or guardians to the Board of Education's Expulsion Committee. Dolliver makes recommendations, but the committee makes the final decision. Expelled students are reviewed after one semester for a possible early probationary return to school, she said.

Angelo Callis, Norwich Youth and Family Services coordinator, said the high number of students referred to his agency is a sign that Norwich school officials were being proactive in addressing student behavior before they end up in juvenile court. Callis said his agency is being called to Kelly more frequently to assist with student behavioral problems.

“We've always had some level of intervention at Kelly Middle School,” Callis said. “What's expanding now is we're catching them sooner, before kids spiral out of control.”

School officials say many student confrontations are escalations of disputes started on social media either at school and in neighborhoods. One student also shared an inappropriate selfie with other students that nearly led to an arrest. Weekends and vacations that once defused school disputes now escalate them through social media, school officials said.

“What kids used to do in high school, they're now doing in middle school,” Callis said, including substance abuse, sexual behavior, verbal abuse and physical confrontations.

Norwich Youth and Family Services runs after-school programs at Kelly, such as “Say it Straight” to teach youths to stand up to pressure to use drugs, skip class or commit other misdeeds. The pressure phrase now is “don't be soft," he said.

The state's effort to keep juveniles out of court is expected to give Norwich Youth and Family Services an even greater presence in the schools. Juvenile courts no longer will handle behavior-based cases — truancy and frequent confrontations. Starting this school year, those cases will be handled by Service Needs Boards at high schools and middle schools. As with the other youth programs, they would have strong collaborations with Norwich police, school officials and the state Department of Children and Families, Callis said.

Kelly Middle School was converted into the school for all seventh and eighth graders in the public school system in the 2014-15 school year after budget cuts that closed schools and reconfigured grades. All sixth graders were sent to Teachers' Memorial Sixth Grade Academy.

Kelly was always the larger of the two middle schools, but enrollment swelled to 722 at its peak last year. Dolliver cited the size of the school as the biggest factor in the school climate issue. Kelly likely is the largest middle school in the region, with Groton's two middle schools having enrollments of 483 and 443 students.

“It was an adjustment for all staff and students,” Dolliver said. “The change (in climate) was over time, with changes in society contributing to it.”

One rumor circulating is that Kelly's student bathrooms are locked because of the recent behavioral problems. But Principal Peckrul said the bathrooms have been locked for several years, a practice other districts also use. Kelly Assistant Principal Susan Kessler said she worked for 12 years in a Middlefield middle school, where student bathrooms also were locked.

Student bathrooms are open at designated times, such as class changes and lunch, Peckrul said. Times are posted on the doors. Any student can ask a teacher for a bathroom pass at any time, Peckrul said.

“Unsupervised areas are hard to monitor,” Peckrul said, “so we try to minimize those.”

School officials made several changes at Kelly for the new school year to combat behavioral problems even as budget cuts eliminated the school resource police officer. Norwich hired Alex Choiniere as its school safety officer. Choiniere has a background in private security and health and fitness training.

Choiniere, who will wear clothes similar to students' school uniform with “school safety officer” on his shirt, said he will devote time to building relationships with students and parents. He will patrol hallways, bathrooms, the cafeteria and hidden spaces. He will ask any roaming student to show hall or bathroom passes and state their destination. At the start of the day, Choiniere will greet students and parents and make sure students get to the right places.

“I want to get a hold of what's going on in the building at all times,” Choiniere said. “I'm really looking forward to making relationships with the kids. I want these kids to feel comfortable in me, not as a friend, still as a figure of authority, but as someone they can talk to.”

Although it can't directly be linked to the school behavioral problems, Kelly has seen a significant staff turnover. Six of 11 recent Norwich teacher retirements were Kelly teachers. Two others departed, one due to a military transfer and one to teach in her hometown, Dolliver said.

All Kelly staff will be trained in a new Restorative Practices program designed to make teachers aware of students on the verge of spiraling out of control, as Callis put it, before physical or verbal confrontations occur.

As part of the practice, the first classes of each day will start in a circle, and the teachers will be on the lookout for students who seem upset, anxious or distracted. Staff will be trained to coach students through confrontations, restore relationships and instill respect between the parties.

Norwich also launched Effective School Solutions, bringing back 18 middle school students who had been placed in expensive out-of-district special education programs for behavioral needs. Two licensed social work clinicians will work with the individual students at Kelly, hold group sessions and respond to crises, including issues at home or on social media.

The new clinicians are in addition to Kelly's two assistant principals, two school psychologists, three guidance counselors and the school safety officer, all with eyes on student behavior.

Debbie Kievits, director of the Greater Norwich Anti-Bullying Coalition, said her group has received reports of bullying at Kelly and said school officials have been responsive. She tries to encourage families to become more involved with their children's education, behavior and school climate.

Kievits said part of the problem at Kelly is basic. Students need more free time, creative outlets to let loose their tensions and frustrations or even express joy.

“They go from class to class with no recess, and everything to relieve their frustration is cut back,” Kievits said. “They've reduced art and music. And there's no free time. These kids are chomping at the bit. I know they're always focused on the tests, but I really think they need free time.”

School officials agreed and have will start incorporating creative outlets into the school day. Peckrul said the school is moving into a STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math — model to give students more hands-on experiences.

Art classes will be divided into fine arts and media arts, including photography, video production and integrated technology, includng a 3-D printer. Music will include music technology, allowing students to experiment with instruments. A new “makerspace” classroom will allow students to create projects based on the math or science they've learned, Peckrul said. And health and fitness classes will feature more components to “get kids up and going,” Peckrul said.

School officials also agreed with Kievits that Kelly lacks parental involvement. The school has no active PTO, and while it has a state-mandated school governance council with five staff members and seven parents, Peckrul said it has been difficult getting parents to participate.

Peckrul plans to launch monthly morning “coffee talks” with parents this year. “If we need alternate times, we'll do it,” he said. An open house for families will be held in September.

“We want the parents to see the good things going on in the school,” Peckrul said, “and not just hear the rumors.”

c.bessette@theday.com