In the 2022-23 school year, Lynchburg City Schools launched LCS Restore, a holistic program empowering students to succeed academically and emotionally through restorative practices. Guided by healthy relationship-building between educators and students, the program aims to help students change harmful behavior and build lifelong skills.
Funded by the Department of Education’s School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) grant program, the Restorative Suspension Center opened in February. This alternative to traditional short-term suspension helps secondary students keep up academically when suspended instead of missing school, preventing chronic absenteeism.
Students transitioning into kindergarten, first, sixth, and ninth grade who need additional behavioral support can attend the Elementary and Secondary Restorative Academies. These help students develop the social and emotional skills necessary for success before transitioning to their base schools over a 6-9-week intensive period.