Zero Weapons at Manchester Schools in 2012-2013, Report Says

Not a single weapon was found at Manchester Township schools last year, marking the first time in at least the last decade that’s happened, according to statistics released by the state Department of Education (DOE).

While there hadn’t been many reports of weapons in recent years—there were six in 2011-2012, down from eight in 2010-2011, all reportedly knives—this was the first time there wasn’t a single report in data immediately available from the state, which dates back to the 2003-2004 school year.

Substance abuse reports also dropped to zero for 2012-2013, according to the statistics, a similarly rare occurance.

Incidents of violence at Manchester schools dropped, as well, though just slightly compared to a year ago, and bullying reports plummeted, according to the DOE’s statistics.

A year after reporting 62 incidents of harassment, intimidation or bullying, Manchester saw just 19 in the 2012-2013 school year, mirroring drops around the state as schools got a better handle on what actually qualified as a reportable incident, DOE officials said.

Violence at Manchester schools dropped by about 13 percent, down to 26 incidents, the majority of which came at Manchester Township Middle School.

The middle school reported a total of 15 incidents through the year—10 fights, four assaults and one threat, according to the DOE’s statistics.

In general, Manchester mirrored statewide trends, if not exceeded them—especially in the decreases in weapons and substance abuse reports.

“We are pleased to see positive trends this year,” said state Education Commissioner Chris Cerf. “Safe and secure learning environments are a crucial part of preparing kids for college and career, and we have invested significant time to provide support and coaching to districts to reduce incidents of bullying and other forms of violence. We applaud all of our districts for working to create safer schools for our students.”