Out-of-school suspensions at one Indianapolis middle school have fallen by 95% over the past four years as some students increasingly turn to mediation and restorative practices instead of disciplinary measures, according to new data released by the Peace Learning Center.
The results come through a five-year, $1.2 million partnership between Peace Learning Center (PLC) and Indiana University Health that supports conflict resolution and violence prevention programs in Marion County schools.
At H.L. Harshman Middle School, out-of-school suspensions dropped from 571 incidents during the 2021-22 school year to just 30 during the 2025-26 school year, according to PLC. During the same period, students and staff participated in 480 peace circles, 23 peer mediations, 28 restorative conferences and 17 re-entry conferences designed to help students return successfully to the classroom following disciplinary issues.
The initiative is part of PLC’s broader effort to reduce exclusionary discipline practices and equip students with communication, accountability and conflict resolution skills before situations escalate.
“These outcomes show what is possible when schools, health care organizations and community partners invest upstream in prevention and student well-being,” said Tim Nation, executive director and co-founder of Peace Learning Center, in a statement. “This work helps students remain connected to school, strengthens school culture and gives young people real-world leadership and communication skills.”
The dramatic decline in suspensions comes during a period of significant change at Harshman Middle School.
In 2024, Indianapolis Public Schools expanded Harshman as part of its Rebuilding Stronger initiative, a districtwide restructuring effort designed to create more specialized middle school experiences and increase educational opportunities. Under the plan, Harshman became a dedicated grades 6-8 middle school serving students in IPS’ dual-language and high-ability programs. The transition added sixth-grade students and substantially increased enrollment at the school. IPS officials have described Rebuilding Stronger as an effort to redesign middle schools around specialized academic pathways and create more robust learning experiences for students.
According to a recent profile highlighting the school, Harshman’s enrollment roughly doubled following the transition, creating new challenges and opportunities for staff working to build a positive school culture.
Despite those changes, school leaders say restorative practices have helped reshape how students respond to conflict.
“When I started working with Peace Learning Center in 2021 at Harshman, our school had about more than 550 suspensions per year,” said Grover Edwards, a behavior specialist at Harshman Middle School. “This fall semester in 2025, we had 30.”
Edwards said student demand for leadership opportunities has increased as restorative practices have become part of the school’s culture. This year, 130 students applied for just 26 peer mediator positions.
“Before mediation, there was really only one choice — fight and be suspended,” Edwards said. “Now students say, ‘We need a mediation.’”
PLC’s restorative model includes peace learning circles, restorative chats, peer mediation, restorative conferences and re-entry conferences. Rather than focusing solely on punishment, the approach encourages students to discuss conflicts, repair harm and rebuild trust with peers and staff.
The results have also been notable at Belzer Middle School in Lawrence Township, where PLC has partnered with the school for six years.
According to the organization, office referrals at Belzer dropped from 89 in the program’s first year to 28 in its sixth year. In-school suspensions declined from 242 to 87 during the same period. This year alone, students and staff conducted 50 circles, 55 restorative chats, 30 restorative conferences and 12 re-entry conferences.
Belzer serves more than 1,100 seventh- and eighth-grade students in Lawrence Township and has a student population that is majority Black and Hispanic. Federal enrollment data show approximately 64% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
The work at Harshman and Belzer is part of Peace Learning Center’s larger Transforming Youth Justice Initiative, which operates in schools across Indiana. The initiative seeks to divert young people from arrest and prosecution through restorative practices, case management, mental health support and community-based services.
According to PLC, more than 1,500 youth have participated in diversion and restorative programming through the initiative, and approximately 92% did not reoffend after completing services.
Founded in 1997 through a public-private partnership with the City of Indianapolis and Indy Parks, Peace Learning Center provides restorative practices, social-emotional learning, peer mediation and school climate improvement programs throughout Central Indiana. The organization reports working with more than 100 schools and community partners annually and has served more than 300,000 people since its founding.
Nation said the partnership with IU Health demonstrates how investments in prevention can create safer school environments while keeping students connected to their education.
“Harshman and Belzer demonstrate that students can learn to pause, communicate, repair harm and lead when given the right support systems,” Nation said. “IU Health’s partnership has helped schools create healthier environments where students can succeed academically and personally.”
The funding is provided through IU Health’s Community Impact Investment grant program, which supports initiatives aimed at improving health and well-being across Indiana communities. Through the partnership, PLC continues to expand restorative practices and conflict resolution programming in Harshman, Belzer and 10 additional Marion County schools.
Learn more at peacelearningcenter.org.
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
