FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. — With more than 700 attacks and 90 weapons brought to schools this year, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is in a tough spot.
When we heard on Wednesday that a gun got into Parkland High School and went off in a backpack in the cafeteria, Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough gave us the numbers.
We’re looking into the numbers and what they mean for each school in more detail.
We know that 63 simple attacks have happened at PHS this school year. That could be anything from a push or pinch to a big fight with many people.
The sheriff’s office says that three knives and a weapon were found at the school. That knife could be anything from a butter knife to something more dangerous.
The school has seen 65 simple attacks, and four knives have been found. There have been 59 attacks at Mount Tabor High School, and six knives have been found. There have been 41 attacks at Glenn High School, and two knives and a fake gun have been found.
“We fight.” “Our schools are dangerous places to be,” Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough said. “Every day we do…” We need to help the school system keep our schools safe.
Recently, PHS in Winston-Salem was in the news because of an alleged attack on a student and his teacher. Another student is accused of taking a gun into the building, which went off, and hit another child with the projectile.
The leaders of the county are sick of this behavior.
Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill said, “We have to figure out a way to find those people who are making it hard for our kids to learn by being disruptive in the class.” “We need to figure out which kids are causing problems and put them in a school where they can get the help they need to do better in school and in their behavior as well.”
There needs to be a way for O’Neill to figure out who is making trouble in the classroom. Districts need money to support these ideas, even just to think about them.
“Many of the problems we see in the classroom, from mental health issues to bad behavior, are caused by the fact that we don’t have enough school counselors and mental health professionals,” said Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators.
Leaders in state education want these problems to get more money. In his proposed budget, Governor Roy Cooper gives $44.6 million to school counselors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers to improve the mental and physical health of children.
More than $77 million will be given to WS/FCS if the budget is passed. Leaders in the area will decide what to do with the money.
