Hamilton’s public school board wants to form a review panel on bullying prevention in the wake of the stabbing death of 14-year-old Devan Bracci-Selvey at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School earlier this month.

On Monday, trustees with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board will debate a report from Director of Education Manny Figueiredo that calls for a “Safe Schools: Bullying Prevention and Intervention Review Panel” to address “heightened concern regarding the issue of bullying.”

The board plans a panel of three “respected community members with knowledge and skills in equity, mental health, and school board operations” that would study the issue, conduct community consultations and produce a report by May.

The move comes after criticism of the board by many including Bracci-Selvey’s mother, who has said she tried to get the school to address her son’s bullying for a month prior to her son’s death but “everyone” failed him.

Shari-Ann Selvey said her son had been viciously bullied since the second day of the school year, when tormentors allegedly stole his bike.

A 14-year-old and an 18-year-old have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the boy’s death on Oct. 7.

Board staff will recommend three names of people to serve on the committee and trustees will decide whether to accept or reject the choices at the board meeting Monday evening.

A media conference has been scheduled before the meeting to release further details.

Board Chair Alex Johnstone says, “We want students, parents and teachers and the entire community to know that we have heard their concerns and we know that we can do more. We want to work with the community to make sure our schools are safer for everyone, that no one is left to suffer the consequences of bullying in silence.”

Johnstone said there are other measures the board has taken to deal with bullying.

One of them, that was put in place before the October stabbing, includes a program of 25 youth workers who are available to “work with students and their families who might need ... support.”

“We continue to strongly encourage students, parents, staff and members of the community to come forward and report issues as they arise. We know this can be difficult and scary,” she said.