Violence & Vandalism Report Shows Slight Decline

An annual report counting all incidents classified as violence, vandalism or violations of the schools' code of conduct was presented on Monday night to the Schools superintendent Valerie Goger said the number of incidents, while mostly down from last year, has not shown substantial change over the years.

The report, based on the previous year, said that districtwide there were 27 incidents of violence, up three from 2009-10; six reports of vandalism, down four from the previous year; and 18 reported incidents of substance abuse. Those incidents, all at Ridge High School, showed a decline of two reported incidents from the year before.

The report counted one incident of a weapons violation at —and in response to a board question, Goger said that was because one student was found to be carrying a pen knife.

School Board member Michael Byrne asked if the incidents were getting worse over the years, and also how serious they are.

"There's been a lot of controversy about this report," Goger said in response. The state's 611 school districts differ in what they classify as vandalism and violence, she said, and even schools within a particular system have different standards for reporting violations, she said.

For example, Goger said, last year reported 744 incidents of tardiness, a violation of the Bernards school district's own code of conduct although not reportable as violence or vandalism to the New Jersey Department of Education.

During the same year, the reported no incidents of tardiness, Goger said.

School Board President Susan Carlsson asked how the state's new bullying law would affect the report next year.

Goger said the new law will affect more than the annual violence and vandalism report. She said the state bullying law, which she described as having flaws, requires immediate investigation into an incident and detailed reporting.

During this September, the district logged one reported incident of bullying, but further investigation resulted in a conclusion that the incident should not be classified as one of bullying, Goger told the board.

As with the violence and vandalism incidents, ultimately the classification of a discipline problem ultimately is a judgement call, Goger said.

Two boys shoving each other because one is angry at the other is not an incidence of bullying, she said.

The violence and vandalism report, as presented on Monday, also details where incidents took place within the schools. For example, the report says that 10 of 18 reported incidents of substance abuse at Ridge High School took place on the school grounds, with far few taking place inside—one in the cafeteria, one in a classroom and three in another area inside the school building. Another three were reported elsewhere outside the building.