Fewer students involved in fights

From the BCCT.

Fewer students involved in fights
The state reports less trouble with students at area high schools, but there still were almost 1,000 altercations.
By THERESA HEGEL

Fighting is still one of the most common offenses in Bucks County schools, according to data recently released by the state. Despite its continued prevalence, however, the incidents reported are significantly lower for the 2006-07 school year than for the previous year. In Bucks, there were 216 fights, down from 279 in 2005-06.

The highest number of offenses reported in the counties were minor infractions — such as profanity or using cell phones in class — that aren’t serious enough for a separate categorization. There were nearly 1,000 such incidents in the two counties.

Data from schools across the state is available online at the state Department of Education’s Web site. Less than 4 percent of students in Pennsylvania were involved in incidents of misconduct two years ago, according to the report.

“While we always will have to be diligent in ensuring that our schools are safe, the latest statistics show schools are, for the most part, doing a solid job of creating and maintaining a quality environment for learning,” said Gerald L. Zahorchak, state education secretary.

Though fighting was typical on a countywide level, the breakdown for specific school districts tells a slightly different story.

Another factor contributing to increased detection is the strong investigation skills of the district’s security force, many of whom are former police officers, Hassler said.

Disorderly conduct is more common at the vo-techs than in district schools. Bucks County Technical High School had 49 incidents, and Middle Bucks Institute of Technology had 39.

Kathryn Strouse, director of Middle Bucks, explained the school takes it very seriously when students refuse to cooperate with teachers or are disruptive.

Tech classrooms often are set up to resemble the workplace, and part of the grading is based on a student’s employability, she said. A lot of their equipment — such as nail guns, knives and welding torches — can be dangerous if used carelessly or incorrectly.

“We feel like we have to hold them very accountable for their actions to ensure safety,” she said.

Bensalem School District followed the trend of Bucks County, with 44 incidents of fighting in 2006-07.

Superintendent James Lombardo, who took his post in January of last year, had no insights about the relatively high number of fights, but he did note that fighting had declined significantly the following school year.

Last year, the district initiated a mission to “address the needs of the whole child” and promote a “safe and healthy environment” for learning, he said.

The move wasn’t in response to the data gathered by the state, but it has seemed to help with student behavior, Lombardo said.

Ultimately, the state’s data is a worthwhile tool, but its age makes it difficult to use in forming school policy, Hassler said.