2008 Woodie Awards
Principals push security
Olivia Moran - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 12/11/07 Section: Metro
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The Iowa City School District recently expanded an off-site temporary school program aimed at helping students who have committed violent acts in school to hold 15 students instead of 10.
Although City High has had twice as many fights as West High in the past trimester, City High Assistant Principal Bernadette Thomas said West has at least seven off-site students, and City High has none.
However, in its first trimester, City counted 24 fights, compared with five during the entire 2006-07 school year.
"I think that pretty much sums it up," Thomas said.
School violence has been a hot topic within the district recently; City High Principal Mark Hanson and West Principal Jerry Arganbright requested hiring police officers for their schools at the most recent School Board meeting.
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Arganbright said West recorded four fights - two of which were serious and involved at least four people - and eight additional incidents of physical altercations in this year's first trimester. There have been no fights in the current trimester to date.
A physical altercation could range from a student spitting on another student or someone inappropriately shoving another, Arganbright said.
Both principals were hesitant to say violence is a big issue in the schools but agreed that security is a necessity.
"It's not so much because of the violence; it's just having a presence," Thomas said.
In the 2005-06 school year, 68 percent of students nationwide reported the presence of a security guard or assigned police officer in their school, according to a 2007 report on school crime and safety from the National Center for Education Statistics. That is a 14 percent increase over 2001.
Although City High has had twice as many fights as West High in the past trimester, City High Assistant Principal Bernadette Thomas said West has at least seven off-site students, and City High has none.
However, in its first trimester, City counted 24 fights, compared with five during the entire 2006-07 school year.
"I think that pretty much sums it up," Thomas said.
School violence has been a hot topic within the district recently; City High Principal Mark Hanson and West Principal Jerry Arganbright requested hiring police officers for their schools at the most recent School Board meeting.
( DITV video feature )
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Arganbright said West recorded four fights - two of which were serious and involved at least four people - and eight additional incidents of physical altercations in this year's first trimester. There have been no fights in the current trimester to date.
A physical altercation could range from a student spitting on another student or someone inappropriately shoving another, Arganbright said.
Both principals were hesitant to say violence is a big issue in the schools but agreed that security is a necessity.
"It's not so much because of the violence; it's just having a presence," Thomas said.
In the 2005-06 school year, 68 percent of students nationwide reported the presence of a security guard or assigned police officer in their school, according to a 2007 report on school crime and safety from the National Center for Education Statistics. That is a 14 percent increase over 2001.
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