ADAMS TWP — As the school year winds down, officials with the Mars School District believe a recently established hot line for reporting issues has been successful.

The confidential hot line was established earlier this month after an April incident of hateful speech lead to a physical altercation between students. Two subsequent school board meetings drew large crowds of parents, students and community members who shared concerns and demanded to know how incidents of bullying and harassment would be addressed.

The district created the hot line, allowing students to call 724-625-2720 to report bullying, school safety and other issues. All information is kept confidential and is reviewed by district officials.

According to Wes Shipley, district superintendent, the hot line has received “limited” calls, but all of them have been investigated and addressed. He said students appear to be receptive to the hot line.

“I have received great feedback from the community on the hot line implementation,” he said. “It's definitely a step in the right direction.”

Read more in Wednesday's Cranberry Eagle