"We're pleased to see our rate declining in high schools but we won't be satisfied until it's at zero for all schools," said Dr. Heath E. Morrison, superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. "We want our schools to continue to be safe places that are conducive to learning, and we will continue looking at ways to increase safety at schools."
Overall in CMS, the rate and the number of reportable acts increased for all schools in 2012, rising to 1,552, or 11.33 per thousand from 1,494, or 11.10 per thousand, in 2011.
However, for high schools only, there were 541 such reportable acts in 2011-2012, down from 641 a year earlier. The rate per 1,000 students for high schools also declined to 14.58 from 16.89 a year earlier. It was the third consecutive year of declines in both number and rate for CMS at high schools.
Statewide, the total number of reportable acts of crime and violence declined by 4.3 percent in 2011-2012 to 11,161 from 11,657 a year earlier. The rate of acts per 1,000 students also decreased by five percent, falling to 7.63 in 2011-2012 from 8.03 a year earlier. Schools are required to report 16 offenses that occur on campus or school property, including illegal possession of controlled substances or alcoholic beverages, weapons, assaults, rapes and homicide.
