SCHOOL VIOLENCE AND VANDALISM DOWN, BUT SETH BOYDEN STILL HIGH

The number of violent incidents and vandalism in the school district dropped considerably in the last school year, according to a new report issued this week, which indicated such incidents are at a three-year low.

Business Administrator Paul Roth released the statistics at Monday's board meeting that indicated there were 155 acts of violence and vandalism in the 2015-2016 school year, down from 216 the year before and 244 in 2013-2014.

Such incidents were also down in all categories in the past year with 11 fewer violent acts, 14 fewer acts of vandalism, six fewer weapons incidents, and a sharp declined in confirmed acts of harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) from 44 the previous year to 11 last year. The only increase came in substance abuse, which saw a slight rise from 26 incidents to 29.

The majority of vandalism incidents involved theft, with 13 of 20, while most violence was due to assaults or fights, which accounted for 67 of 96 reported cases. 

Of the 155 incidents reported in the last school year, 62 occurred at Columbia High School and 48 at Maplewood Middle School. South Orange Middle School reported just 10.

There were almost no such incidents at the lower grade levels, except for Seth Boyden School, where 30 incidents of violence and vandalism occurred, far beyond any other elementary school in the district.

Roth had no specific reason for the decline, but said at least some of it was related to a drastic reduction in confirmed HIB cases.