State statistics show local schools were less violent last year
Pennsylvania’s latest school-violence report shows that local schools were less violent or reported about the same number of incidents last year as the year before. Just a few school districts logged more violent incidents in 2001-2002 than 2000-2001.
The state Department of Education’s latest Annual Report on School Violence and Weapons Possession summarizes data reported by the state’s 501 school districts, 29 intermediate units, 73 area vocational-technical schools and 76 charter schools
The report revealed an 8.8 percent drop in the total number of violent incidents statewide.
Carmichaels Area School District had a steep drop in its reports, from 72 incidents in 2000-2001 to 25 last school year. The most significant decrease was at the elementary school, where the number of incidents fell from 52 to 13. Jefferson-Morgan School District showed an even sharper drop, from 95 to 28 incidents. Again, the elementary school reports made the difference. Jeff-Morgan had 89 incidents at the elementary school in 2000-2001 and just three last year.
Belle Vernon Area School District cut its violent incidents in half, going from 62 to 33. Connellsville Area and California Area school districts also logged declines, although slight.
Albert Gallatin Area, Brownsville Area, Frazier, Laurel Highlands and Bethlehem-Center changed little from one year to the next.
Central Greene School District’s reports went up from 39 to 62, and Southmoreland School District had nine incidents, compared to four the year before. Uniontown Area School District’s number also went up, from 344 to 363.
Southeastern Greene School District reported violence for the first time in three years, logging seven incidents. Four of the incidents involved assaults of students, and one included a weapon other than a firearm or knife. The rest were not listed under any of the report’s few categories, although all seven resulted in local law enforcement being called, arrests and suspensions.
All of the school districts were most likely to respond to the incidents with suspensions, according to the report. A few school districts logged expulsions and assignments to alternative education. For example, Albert Gallatin had four each listed under expulsions and alternative education assignments. Connellsville had one expulsion and five alternative education assignments. Uniontown had no expulsions but included nine placements in alternative education. Belle Vernon had three expulsions.
The categories for the types of violent incidents listed on the report are assaults on students and staff, fighting and weapons.
For the first time, the report includes bomb threats. The only local school district with bomb threat reports last school year was Central Greene, which reported two at Margaret Bell Miller Middle School.
As for firearms, Albert Gallatin reported one firearm at each of the two middle schools. Belle Vernon reported two firearms at the high school.
Regarding knives, Belle Vernon also reported five knife incidents, with three of them at the Marion Elementary School. Connellsville reported six knife incidents, with three of them at South Side Elementary School. Uniontown had five knife reports, with three of them at Lafayette School. Brownsville reported two knives at elementary schools, one each at the Central and Cox-Donahey elementary schools. Waynesburg Central Elementary School had three knife reports.
Belle Vernon, Brownsville, Central Greene, Connellsville, Frazier, Laurel Highlands and Uniontown reported assaults on staff, with Uniontown logging the most: three each for Lafayette School and the high school.
The education department releases this report each year but always cautions against comparing one school district to another. The school districts have their own collection and reporting systems, and the accuracy of the reports is the school administrators’ responsibility.
As far as the Intermediate Unit 1 and local vocational-technical schools are concerned, IU1 listed seven incidents, compared to none the year before.
Fayette County Area Vocational-Technical School reported 41 incidents, including one bomb threat and one knife. The school had 55 incidents the year before.
North Fayette County Area Vocational-Technical School had 39 incidents in 2000-2001, compared to 19 the year before, and Greene County Area Vocational-Technical School reported just one fight, compared to 15 incidents the year before.
For the complete report and a district-by-district breakdown of results, visit the state Department of Education Web site at http://www.pde.state.pa.us/.