Metal detectors to be placed at Perry Harrison?

Posted Friday, March 16, 2007

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Pittsboro, NC - Unfortunately, it seems that even in our one rural community we can not protect our elementary school children from potential violence. Is the school administration's lax attitude towards handing out punishment going to lead to more unfortunate events in the future?

Below is a compilation of the notes that appeared concerning the matter on the Chatham Online bulletin board:

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For the second time in as many years, a student has brought a knife to school and threatened another child...both of these incidents took place in the middle school at Perry Harrison.

Both times, the students involved got minimal suspensions and were allowed to return to school.

I believe there is a statute that requires students found with any weapon on campus were to be suspended for 365 days?

Does anyone know the details of this statute? I guess there can be circumstances I am unaware of but I do recall a student at Northwood accidental left a hunting knife in his car from a weekend camping trip, it was seen by the SRO (in his car) and HE got suspended for 365 days. So, is it a case rules not fitting all crimes? or individual rules for different students? A weapon on campus is a weapon on campus...and when there is a threat involved, then that student doesn't need to be with the general population, imp.

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Please refer to the Chatham County Schools website, look under board policies and then policy number 8480. The 365 day suspension mentioned can be modified by the superintendent as outlined in that policy code. The statutes referred to in that policy code merely define a weapon and the violation, either a misdemeanor or a felony.

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So then the student is charged, one way or the other?

If they are charged with a felony, are they allowed to stay in school?

What are the victims rights and where is the policy that protects them from bullies who bring weapons to school?

Ten day suspension for bringing a knife on campus, accompanied by a threat against a 12 year old? What message does that send the rest of the student body?

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I've heard (through the grapevine) that there has been another incident at Perry Harrison involving a student bringing a knife to the recent middle school dance. I wonder if this student will also receive a minor suspension? How are parents notified, how are teachers warned of this potential danger? I can't understand why bringing a knife to school or a school event does not warrant a more serious response. It concerns me that my son may be at school with students who pose a real risk, yet I wouldn't know about this except for other parents. Where is the school to parent communication?

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Heard about the incident at last Friday's Perry Harrison Middle School dance with the knife yielding thug at dinner this evening.

If what I hear is true than a mere ten-day suspension is unacceptable.

What if the kid with the knife had actually stabbed the other student? What then? What questions would we be asking? Why did this happen? How could we have prevented this? Wasn't anyone aware of what was going on? What kind of school are we running when a student can bring a knife school and threaten another?

What would the school's response to the parents of the injured student be? We're sorry, we didn't see this coming. We're sorry, we did everything in or power to prevent this. We're sorry that is the way society is these days.

Solutions will be offered including the possibility of putting in metal detectors? searches by security guards? School counselors would be assigned to assist with the grief?

Rather then let this kind of thing get to that stage and be reactive, wouldn't it be easier to be proactive at this point and mead out the appropriate level of punishment?

10 days? That's a two week vacation.

Would something longer be way too severe? I don't really think so!

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Please direct these questions to the school board/superintendent.

543-3626 is the county office number

I have....and gotten very little response.

A knife is not a mandatory 365, only guns and explosive devices. A knife or other weapon carries the punishment deemed fit by the Superintendent Ann Hart. She supercedes the Principal on this one.

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I do know from my daughter that the child involved in the Jan incident has not yet returned to school (as of Fri, I did not ask today). That child did attempt to show up to the dance, had a talk with the asst principal and was told to leave. i do not know if his punishment was 365 days, but he has been out for 3 weeks now according to the dates on this board and my daughter saying he has not been back to school (unless he was out for suspension and then got sick, I don't know).

I too would like to be kept informed of situations that happen like this at school. I do have a right to know what is happening where my child spends 6-7 hours a day. If, for privacy reasons, they can't share the student's names, so be it (the kids all know anyway), but they need to be letting parents know what is happening even if the letter only says today there was an incident where a X-grader was found wtih a knife at school or whatever happened. I also have concerns about why a 14 YO is in 6th grade, which apparently is the case of the child involved in the dance situation Fri night.

This was the first dance I did not chaperone and will be the only dance I do not chaperone. Not that I could have done anything, but my daughter was scared, which is a shame at a place where kids should feel safe!! Thankfully the deputy was there and took the child out to her car and what happened then is in question depending on what child you talk to (I have heard the grandparents were called and the other story is he was taken into custody by another deputy). But the next time, it may not be a "happy" ending (as in no one was injured).

Two such instances in less than a month make you wonder what is going on.

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My understanding of this situation is that one boy (Boy A) said some insulting things about another boy's (Boy B) girlfriend during the week leading up to the dance. This led to a minor altercation during school. Boy B and a friend (Boy D) then plotted to bring a knife to the VD dance and exact his revenge. Another student (Boy C) had heard of this plot and reported it to a teacher. Because it was reported, Boys B and D were not allowed into the dance and were given 10-day suspensions; they will probably return to school on March 5. Boys A and C are afraid of what may happen when the other boys return from their suspensions.

In response to Kimmimom who states "I also have concerns about why a 14 YO is in 6th grade, which apparently is the case of the child involved in the dance situation Fri night," there is a valid reason why the boy is 14 YO in 6th grade.....and it has nothing to do with intelligence or extreme behavior. His age, though, really isn't an issue where the dance is concerned. As this was a middle school dance, open to 6th, 7th and 8th graders, the ages of the students range from 11 YO up to 15 YO.

While I do believe a tougher penalty should have been enforced on this student, I've actually been pleasantly surprised by how well PHS enforces their non-bullying policies. You will never rid schools completely of bullying; it's always been around. The difference between today and "the olden days" when I was in middle school, is that there is a lot less physical violence today....at least in PHS....than in the school I attended. I had to learn to run fast to survive 7th grade!!!! There were usually several fights a month in the halls of my middle school; back then, though, fighting was done with fists and not knives. I've heard of very, very few actual fights at PHS.

I've taught my own child to ignore any taunts that might be thrown at him ("Just consider the source!"), and be sure to report any physical threats to a teacher. This has seemed to work well for him.

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Very interesting responses to this topic; obviously, many concerned parents. When my child told me that the student (the knife incident at PHS, prior to the dance) threatened another in the bathroom due to girlfriend issues, that seemed to warrant a serious response--regardless of the weapon involved. Since he has not yet returned to school, perhaps it has been well-handled. I do still think that parents should have been notified and not have to rely on the grapevine. I guess this is a concern to express to Dr. Hart, although it seems that the principal should be able to handle this with a simple note sent home, reassuring parents that the situation is under control and being handled correctly.

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I guess the most bothersome part of the way this has been handled is the BOE's apparent lack of consideration toward the parents with concerns at Perry Harrison.

Maybe the BOE knows more about the incident than they can share. That certainly is the case most times. But they are sharing nothing, and "nothing" leads to hearsay and speculation. It would be beneficially to all parties if the school would communicate, at least with a letter home.

The chair of the BOE has a child at Harrison and he doesn't feel there is any need for concern. Again, he is privy to information we are not. Personally, I am concerned for my child's safety 24 hours a day, knife or no knife, I'm concerned for the message we are sending. My kids know to stay away from certain situations and students.

I don't understand the difference between the gun/knife thing. This is about the mental state of a child who thinks this is acceptable behavior. It's not that hard to for kids to put there hands on a gun THE NEXT TIME. If you slap them on the back of the hand with 10 days.....there will be a next time.

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That is my problem with it as well. What starts as a butter knife sudden through hearsay becomes a marchette (sorry, have no idea how to spell that since I am not into weapons at all). It kind of reminds me of that game "telephone" you played back in elementary school where you whisper something in one person's ear and they pass it on and by the time it gets to the last person it is not at all what the first person said. When I expressed my concerns about not sharing the FACTS of what had happened, that is what i expressed. By not stating the facts (and the names do not need to be mentioned), it leads to hearsay and incorrect information, which leads to fear. And our kids should not have to be scared in school and the parents should not have to be overly scared because we have wrong information about what really happened or what will happen in order to prevent future situations.

Apparently yesterday there was a squirmish between 2 boys at PHS, no weapons involved. ISS for those children.