Pubdate: Fri, 19 Dec 2003
Source: Beaumont Enterprise (TX)
Copyright: 2003 Beaumont Enterprise
Contact:  http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1024
Author: Vanessa Everett

PROGRAMMING PEACE ON CAMPUS

BEAUMONT - The rate of violent incidents in schools dropped sharply after 
1999-2000 and is now holding steady, school officials reported Thursday at 
the Beaumont Independent School District board meeting.

W. Preston Shaw, assistant superintendent for administration, told trustees 
that he was "happy to share with you this sharp, sharp decrease in 
in-school violent incidents."

He credited the drop to the implementation of dozens of preventative 
programs in the schools. There are 12 drug and violence prevention programs 
in place at the elementary level, 16 at the middle school level and 13 at 
the high school level.

 From group counseling to drug awareness programs to stricter discipline 
for bullies, students are learning that dangerous behavior won't be 
tolerated, he said. According to the 2002-2003 Accountability for Safe 
Schools Report, there were 18 violent incidents in the year 1999-2000 in 
the Beaumont school district. That plummeted to five incidents in 
2000-2001, then crept up to six incidents in 2001-2002 and seven incidents 
in 2002-2003.

The violent incidents include arson, assault, sexual assault and prohibited 
weapons on the campuses.

Terry Ingram, assistant superintendent for business services, said 
principals are doing a good job handling discipline on their campuses.

However, the report also showed that instances of fighting were going up. 
In 2002-2003, there were 1,357 fighting infractions district-wide, compared 
to 1,128 in 2001-2002. In 2000-2001, there were 972 fighting infractions, 
compared to 563 in 1999-2000.

Other common infractions in the report include marijuana and tobacco 
violations. Those numbers have also gone down over the years, with nearly 
130 marijuana infractions in 1999-2000 down to 67 in 2002-2003. Tobacco 
infractions were at 98 in 1999-2000 and dropped to 41 in 2002-2003.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman