Safety is a primary goal for schools because it is very important that students have a safe and orderly environment for learning. In general, schools are very safe places, but it is important to know about school crime and violence when it occurs.
The School Report Cards track school safety by providing a ratio of the actual number of acts of crime and violence that are reported as occurring on school property or at school events to the number of students who attend the school. The table counts the number of reportable acts (rounded to two decimal points) per every 100 students in the school.
Schools are required to report any of 16 different offenses to the state (for example, possession of a weapon, possession of a controlled substance, or assault resulting in serious bodily injury).
While the number of acts that have occurred in a school is important, knowing where, when, and what acts occur is equally important. To answer those questions and to find out more about safety in your school, talk to your school principal.
For a full list of the 16 types of acts reported by schools, please see the Data Sources & Information Guide. Definitions of reportable acts and additional information about school reporting requirements are available from the NC Department of Public Instruction's Discipline Data website.