By Rebecca Rider

rebecca.rider@salisburypost.com

Assaults occurring in Rowan-Salisbury Schools doubled in the 2014-15 school year, according to a report released Thursday by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

Rowan County schools reported 16 assaults during the 2014-15 school year — including 10 assaults against school personnel – up from the eight reported to the state in 2013-2014. The numbers come from the Department of Public Instruction’s yearly consolidated data report on crime and violence, which was presented to the state board of education Thursday morning.

According to the report, during the 2014-15 academic year, the system had three more assaults on school personnel than the previous year. Also reported in 2014-15 were four incidents of assault with a weapon and one incident of sexual assault. Neither of those crimes was reported in the local system the previous year.

The majority of assaults on school personnel occurred in Rowan County elementary schools.

Incidents of reportable crime increased 2.1 percent statewide — from 10,132 acts in 2013-14 to 10,347 acts in 2014-15. This is the first increase North Carolina has seen in three years. Illegal possession of controlled substances, alcoholic beverages or weapons and assault on school personnel made up 96 percent of all reported acts. Dangerous or violent crime made up 229 of the 10,132 reported acts. 

While assaults are up, reportable crime in the Rowan-Salisbury School System has decreased, from 142 incidents in 2013-14 to 110 incidents in 2014-15. Of those reported for the last school year, 67 were possession of alcohol or a controlled substance and 23 were possession of a weapon.

The Department of Public Instruction requires schools to report 16 criminal offenses including: assault resulting in serious personal injury; assault involving a weapon; assault involving school officials, employees or volunteers; bomb threats or hoaxes; possession of a controlled substance; unlawful purchase, provision, possession or consumption of alcohol by an underaged person; rape; possession of a firearm; kidnapping; homicide; possession of a weapon; willfully burning a school building; robbery with a dangerous weapon; sexual assault; sexual offense; and indecent liberties with a minor.

Rowan-Salisbury Schools also saw in increase in short-term suspensions, which tracks with a statewide increase. In 2014-15, 3,552 RSS students faced short-term suspension, up from 3,107 in 2013-2014. According to the report, Rowan-Salisbury Schools have a short-term suspension rate of 16.41 per one hundred students. North Carolina schools experienced a 5.2 percent increase in short-term suspensions across all grades, the report said.

But while expulsions rates across the state increased by 13.5 percent, Rowan-Salisbury schools reported that no students were expelled in 2014-15.

This year, North Carolina public schools have a student population of 1,537,643 — an all time high. The release also notes that long-term suspensions have decreased statewide.

State Superintendent June Atkinson said that it is essential for schools to provide positive learning environments so students can reach their academic potential.

“Any increase in school crime is a trend in the wrong direction,” she said in an e-mailed press release.

Rowan-Salisbury Superintendent Dr. Lynn Moody said she had not yet looked at the report, and did not want to comment until she did. Executive Director for Administration and Legal Services April Kuhn could not be reached for comment as of 6 p.m.