Note from the Comptroller on School Safety:
Four-year Statewide Incident StatisticsAs a former public school teacher, but most importantly as a mother and a grandmother, I believe my highest priority is to ensure that Texas public schools give children an excellent education and that our public schools be safe. That is why I successfully asked the 1999 Texas Legislature to enhance school safety and deter gangs by improving the flow of information to parents, teachers and Texas law enforcement.
Lawmakers approved my recommendations because they recognized the safety challenge facing our public schools.
Nationally, violence remains the second leading cause of death for Americans aged 15 to 24. In an eight-month period in 1997, six students committed multiple killings in U.S. schools. A total of 11 students and two teachers were killed; 44 were injured.
While Texas has not yet experienced a school shooting similar to incidents in other states, including the recent tragedy in Colorado, we are still subject to violence and weapons in our schools--and at unacceptable levels.
During the 1996-1997 school year, there were nearly 9,000 reported incidents of gang-related school violence on Texas campuses. During the same year, schools reported more than 45,000 students and nearly 4,000 teachers assaulted. In addition, more than 500 guns and nearly 8,000 knives and other weapons were confiscated from students.
Existing state law required districts to have a plan to address school violence from a district perspective. At my suggestion, lawmakers amended the law to require each and every campus to develop a school violence plan. Each campus plan will be tailored to meet individual school needs by gathering input from teachers, parents and the community.
Previously, school districts were not required to report to parents the number or extent of violent incidents on campuses. At my request, the Legislature amended the law to require districts to report the number, rate and type of violent and criminal incidents occurring on each campus as part of each district's annual performance report--the same report that recounts the district's academic performance, student dropout rate and other relevant measures. Parents who want to know the facts on school violence will have easy access.
Lawmakers also approved my proposal to improve the tracking of teen gang members.
Source: Texas Education Agency, PEIMS 2001-2002
Texas Education Agency
Division of Student Support Programs
Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program
Annual Evaluation Report
School Year 2001-2002
Texas Schools
Part III: Program Performance Measures
LEA Program Specific Indicators
Incident CountsPEIMS Disciplinary Action Reason Type of Incident Elementary Middle/Jr.High High School Total 1 Disruptive behavior 18,642 48,599 24,357 91,598 2 Conduct punishable as a felony 27 402 708 1,137 4 Possessed, sold or used marijuana or other controlled substance 111 3,939 10,852 14,902 5 Possessed, sold, used or was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage 30 360 1,763 2,153 6 Abuse of glue or aerosol paint 6 83 60 149 7 Public lewdness or indecent exposure 74 222 277 573 8 Retaliation against school employee 100 133 150 383 9 Conduct occurring off campus while student is not in attendance at school related activity for felony offenses in Title 5 25 248 430 703 10 Conduct occurring off campus while student is not in attendance at school related activity for felony offenses not in Title 5 14 170 325 509 11 Used, exhibited or possessed a firearm 13 44 109 166 12 Used, exhibited or possessed a illegal knife 99 242 289 630 13 Used, exhibited or possessed a club 1 7 24 32 14 Used, exhibited or possessed a prohibited weapon 99 264 256 619 16 Arson 26 70 67 163 17 Murder, capital murder, criminal attempt to commit murder, or capital murder 0 1 1 2 18 Indecency with a child 6 30 26 62 19 Aggravated kidnapping 0 0 2 2 20 Serious or persistent misconduct violating the student code of conduct while placed in alternative education program 846 5,655 5,005 11,506 21 Violation of student code of conduct not included in codes 33 and 34 176,255 617,401 605,643 1,399,299 22 Criminal mischief 246 1,031 877 2,154 23 Emergency Placement\Expulsion 11 46 28 85 26 Terroristic threat 208 600 632 1,440 27 Assault against a school district employee or volunteer 180 455 475 1,110 28 Assault against someone other than a school district employee or volunteer 206 1,381 1,391 2,978 29 Aggravated assault against a school district employee or volunteer 5 26 33 64 30 Aggravated assault against someone other than a school district employee or volunteer 13 99 154 266 31 Sexual assault or aggravated assault against a school district employee or volunteer 1 6 1 8 32 Sexual assault or aggravated assault against someone other than a school district employee or volunteer 8 49 40 97 33 Possessed, purchased, used or accepted a cigarette or tobacco product (Code 33) 93 1,314 4,122 5,529 34 School-related gang violence (Code 34) 36 320 385 741 Totals: 197,381 683,197 658,482 1,539,060 By one estimate, Texas has as many as 145,000 members of youth gangs closely associated with violent and criminal activity. Texas schools have been affected, with the number of school-related gang violence incidents increasing from 5,736 in the 1994-95 school year to 8,959 in 1996-97.
In Florida and Arizona, law enforcement have turned to electronic databases to track gang membership and activity. Authorities report the database yields timely information to law officers that can, at times, prove invaluable and even life-saving.
In Texas, many local law enforcement agencies enlist computers to track local gang members. The Austin Police Department, for instance, stores electronic photographs and biographies of more than 3,000 documented gang members, which Gang Unit officers share with street officers. But to date, there has been no statewide gangs database--a shortcoming addressed by state lawmakers.
At my suggestion, the Legislature amended state law by authorizing the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to create a statewide electronic database on known gang members to be used by local police forces. DPS officers will be able to share information in the database with the National Crime Information Center database allowing information on convicted gang members to be shared with law enforcement agencies nationwide.
One of the most important goals of any government--perhaps the most important--is to ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens. It is particularly important to safeguard our most vulnerable citizens, our children. To its credit, the Legislature took vital steps toward safer schools. As this state's education watchdog, I will strive to keep school safety at the forefront of every educational debate.
See also TSPR's special report Keeping Texas Children Safe in School (January 2000)
