Annual school crime & violence report released


The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released the the Consolidated Data Report, 2007-08 which contains the Annual Report of School Crime & Violence, the Annual Report of Suspensions & Expulsions, and the Annual Report of Dropout Rates.

The report found that the number of acts of crime and violence by high school students increased by 1.2% from 2006-07 to 2007-08. However, due to an increase in average daily membership, the rate of acts reported remained constant at 15.57 acts per 1000 students in membership. Violent acts represented 3.2% of the total reportable acts.

Reportable acts were most frequently committed by students who were 9th graders and who were 16 years of age. In high school, males committed crimes at over three times the rate of females. Among ethnic groups in high school, American Indians had the highest crime rate, followed by blacks and whites.

The most frequently reported reportable acts in high school were possession of a controlled substance in violation of the law, possession of a weapon, possession of an alcoholic beverage.

School systems reporting the lowest rates of grades 9-12 short-term suspensions were Clay County, Mount Airy City, Yancey County, Polk County, Yadkin County, Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Cherokee County, Elkin City, Graham County, and Avery County. Systems with the highest rates of grades 9-12 short-term suspensions were Weldon City, Hertford County, Pamlico County, Robeson County, Greene County, Halifax County, Thomasville City, Duplin County, Edgecombe County, and Northampton County.

Yadkin County was the only LEA on all three of the “top ten” lists of lowest rates of crime, short-term suspensions and dropouts in grades 9-12.

Five school systems were in two of the three “top ten” lists of superior performance in achieving low rates in these categories. These were Clay County, Mount Airy City, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City, and Elkin City, and Cherokee County.

No school districts were on all three “top ten” lists for 3-year decreases in rates of crime, short-term suspensions, and dropouts for grades 9-12; however, districts on two out of three of these lists were Hyde County, Macon County, Vance County, Clay County, and Clinton City.

The report broke down the number of short-term and long-term suspensions for 2007-2008 and included the number of expulsions as well. Here is how systems reported in the four-county area:

Suspension Rates 2007-2008