Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 22, 1995 TAG: 9504240030
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
``I hope we won't have to go to that extreme,'' the vice chairman of the Roanoke School Board says.
She wants, however, to make sure that students are safe from guns and knives.
Just when city school officials thought the problem of weapons in schools had eased, it has erupted in the past two weeks with two incidents involving three students.
A William Fleming High School student was charged with bringing a loaded .25-caliber gun onto school property. He has been suspended and faces expulsion.
Two students at Woodrow Wilson Middle School have been suspended and face expulsion for having a BB pistol on school grounds.
In neither case were students threatened or endangered.
The two incidents raised concern among School Board members, who will decide whether the students will be kicked out of school.
``We want to make sure that we emphasize that we won't tolerate weapons in schools,'' Curtis said.
``When you have 13,000 students, you are going to have a few who are going to step over the line,'' said Finn Pincus, a board member. ``They have to know that we are dealing with the problem and we won't accept it.''
Board member Don Poff said searching students and using detectors have been discussed but the board has not seriously considered them, he said.
A year ago, the board expelled 10 students, most for bringing weapons onto school property.
This year, two students have been expelled for weapons violations.
School officials believed that a revised student conduct policy, which was adopted last year and carries stiff penalties for bringing guns to schools, was working.
They believed that the board's get-tough policy and the expulsion of the 10 students sent a strong message that guns would not be accepted.
The policy calls for an automatic recommendation for the expulsion of a student who brings a weapon to school. The School Board has approved all expulsion recommendations.
The conduct policy also covers the possession of drugs, assaults, fights, sexual harassment and several other offenses.
Chairman Nelson Harris said the fewer expulsions this year are the ``fruits of the board's labor'' to deal with weapons.
``I think the message is out: City schools are tough on violence, weapon and drugs,'' he said. ``We sent out the message that we were going to have safe schools.''
But the guns at the William Fleming and Woodrow Wilson schools in the past two weeks have caused some board members to take another look at the adequacy of the student conduct policy. The incidents have reminded them of the difficulty in trying to prevent students from bringing guns and knives to school.
But board members said they still have faith in the policy and do not see the need for more extreme measures. Even with the latest cases, the number of expulsions this year will be half of last year's.
Board member John Saunders views the two latest weapons violations as isolated cases rather than a part of a pervasive problem in the schools. He believes that the student conduct policy has been effective.
``With each expulsion hearing, we evaluate and review the policy in light of the case to see if we need to do more,'' Saunders said. ``I am sure that we will do that when we consider the latest cases.''
Poff said the schools need to keep reminding students about the penalty for guns.
``Many principals make daily announcements about weapons and stress that they won't be tolerated,'' Poff said. ``They need to keep doing that.''
At this point, Poff said he is not prepared to support the use of metal detectors and searches.
``What we are doing is pro-active and I think it is working for now,'' he said.
Pincus said he believes that the decrease in expulsions shows that the problem is not as widespread.
``I am pretty pleased with how it is working. I think the students realize what will happen to them if they bring weapons to schools,'' Pincus said.
Saunders said there have been so few weapons incidents this year that he, too, would not favor using metal detectors and searches. He said that would be an imposition on students, including those who comply with all rules and have no intention of bringing guns to schools.
by CNB