Post by admin on Jan 23, 2010 10:46:48 GMT -5
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FRHSD releases details of violence, vandalism
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer
Incidents of violence and vandalism increased in some areas, while other types of incidents showed a decrease during the 2008-09 school year in the Freehold Regional High School District. The district’s annual violence and vandalism report was presented during the Board of Education’s Jan. 11 meeting in Freehold Township.
With a combined enrollment of 11,769 students in the FRHSD’s six schools, there were a total of 260 cases falling into the violence and vandalism categories reported for the 2008-09 school year.
Vandalism was down with a total of 30 instances, made up of six cases of damage to property, 22 thefts of property and two bomb threats. By way of comparison, there were 36 reported incidents of vandalism during the 2007-08 school year.
There were eight incidents involving weapons during the 2008-09 school year, which is lower than the previous year’s number of 14 incidents. Of the eight incidents in 2008-09, seven involved possession of a weapon and one was an assault with a weapon.
FRHSD Superintendent of Schools James Wasser explained that some of the weapons possession incidents involved small knives and included students who brought a kitchen knife to school to cut fruit during their lunch period. Such an incident still had to be cataloged for the district’s report, he said.
With 112 instances of violence reported during the 2008-09 school year, there was a increase from the previous school year’s total of 96 incidents. In 2008-09 there were 33 cases of simple assault, seven sex offenses, 30 incidents of harassment/threats, one case of aggravated assault and 41 fights.
Substance abuse was up during the 2008-09 school year, with a total of 118 incidents, an increase from the previous year’s 105 cases. Students being under the influence of drugs came in at the top with 88 incidents. There were 22 reported cases of possession and eight distribution reports. Wasser said the distribution incidents mostly involved prescription drugs.
Some students are bringing prescription pills from home to school and selling them through text messaging and by other means, the superintendent explained.
When it came to the types of illegal substances being used, marijuana was the leader with 73 cases, followed by unauthorized prescription drugs at 16 and alcohol with 13 incidents. Depressants and drug paraphernalia each had five incidents, while the use of amphetamines and narcotics each had two incidents. There was one instance of cocaine and no reported incidents of steroids or Ecstasy. The FRHSD saw 18 refused or tainted drug tests during the 2008- 09 school year.
Wasser said he conducted 28 discipline hearings with students during the 2008-09 school year and said the board held 26 expulsion hearings. The superintendent said those numbers were in the range that is typically seen each year, which is about 30 of each type (discipline and expulsion).
The FRHSD has a list of school support services, the superintendent described, including ADAPT, student assistance counseling and peer leadership. Wasser said the FRHSD will team up with the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office to work on gang related issues.
“Believe it or not, we live in an area of Monmouth County that is very influenced by gangs that are in our area, and sometimes we think we are in a protective environment — we are not,” Wasser said.
The superintendent said representatives of the sheriff’s office will come into the schools to work with staff members and feature programs with students this coming year.
FRHSD releases details of violence, vandalism
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer
Incidents of violence and vandalism increased in some areas, while other types of incidents showed a decrease during the 2008-09 school year in the Freehold Regional High School District. The district’s annual violence and vandalism report was presented during the Board of Education’s Jan. 11 meeting in Freehold Township.
With a combined enrollment of 11,769 students in the FRHSD’s six schools, there were a total of 260 cases falling into the violence and vandalism categories reported for the 2008-09 school year.
Vandalism was down with a total of 30 instances, made up of six cases of damage to property, 22 thefts of property and two bomb threats. By way of comparison, there were 36 reported incidents of vandalism during the 2007-08 school year.
There were eight incidents involving weapons during the 2008-09 school year, which is lower than the previous year’s number of 14 incidents. Of the eight incidents in 2008-09, seven involved possession of a weapon and one was an assault with a weapon.
FRHSD Superintendent of Schools James Wasser explained that some of the weapons possession incidents involved small knives and included students who brought a kitchen knife to school to cut fruit during their lunch period. Such an incident still had to be cataloged for the district’s report, he said.
With 112 instances of violence reported during the 2008-09 school year, there was a increase from the previous school year’s total of 96 incidents. In 2008-09 there were 33 cases of simple assault, seven sex offenses, 30 incidents of harassment/threats, one case of aggravated assault and 41 fights.
Substance abuse was up during the 2008-09 school year, with a total of 118 incidents, an increase from the previous year’s 105 cases. Students being under the influence of drugs came in at the top with 88 incidents. There were 22 reported cases of possession and eight distribution reports. Wasser said the distribution incidents mostly involved prescription drugs.
Some students are bringing prescription pills from home to school and selling them through text messaging and by other means, the superintendent explained.
When it came to the types of illegal substances being used, marijuana was the leader with 73 cases, followed by unauthorized prescription drugs at 16 and alcohol with 13 incidents. Depressants and drug paraphernalia each had five incidents, while the use of amphetamines and narcotics each had two incidents. There was one instance of cocaine and no reported incidents of steroids or Ecstasy. The FRHSD saw 18 refused or tainted drug tests during the 2008- 09 school year.
Wasser said he conducted 28 discipline hearings with students during the 2008-09 school year and said the board held 26 expulsion hearings. The superintendent said those numbers were in the range that is typically seen each year, which is about 30 of each type (discipline and expulsion).
The FRHSD has a list of school support services, the superintendent described, including ADAPT, student assistance counseling and peer leadership. Wasser said the FRHSD will team up with the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office to work on gang related issues.
“Believe it or not, we live in an area of Monmouth County that is very influenced by gangs that are in our area, and sometimes we think we are in a protective environment — we are not,” Wasser said.
The superintendent said representatives of the sheriff’s office will come into the schools to work with staff members and feature programs with students this coming year.