ALBANY, N.Y. (WRGB) — A new state report suggests the official data regarding violence in New York schools may be hiding the full picture of what is happening in the hallways, complicating parents’ ability to assess student safety.
A report released Tuesday by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found that while reported violent offenses have dropped to near zero in many districts, the decline is likely due to a change in reporting definitions rather than a sudden improvement in student behavior.
Simultaneously, the report found that drug-related incidents in Upstate New York schools are occurring at more than double the rate of schools in New York City.
According to the Comptroller’s analysis, the state Department of Education revised the definitions for “serious incidents”—including assault, sexual offenses, and weapons possession—starting in the 2021-22 school year.
Under the current rules, for an incident to be included in the state’s serious safety data, it must meet three specific criteria:
- The offender must be at least 10 years old.
- The act must constitute a felony.
- The incident must be referred to law enforcement.
If a violent fight or weapons incident does not meet all three thresholds, it may not appear in the “violent and disruptive” incident data parents see. The Comptroller’s report concluded that these changes make comparing current safety data to pre-pandemic years “difficult, if not impossible”.
While reported violence is down on paper, drug use is rising, particularly in the Capital Region and surrounding areas.
The audit revealed that for the 2023-24 school year, Upstate schools reported 9.8 drug-related incidents per 1,000 students. By comparison, New York City schools reported only 4.2 incidents per 1,000 students.
The audit also raised questions about underreporting. Data shows that 34.4% of public schools outside of New York City claimed to have “zero” violent or disruptive incidents of any kind last year. In New York City, only 6.1% of schools reported zero incidents.
Nicholas Marricco, a senior associate and education attorney with Tully Rinckey, reviewed the data and expressed alarm at the disparity in drug statistics.
“I’m extremely concerned about this report and in particular the drug use,” Marricco said. “I can’t believe I saw those numbers… my jaw dropped when I saw that”.
Marricco noted that many families hesitate to seek help for students struggling with addiction due to fear of academic penalties. However, he emphasized that parents have legal avenues to protect their child’s education while seeking treatment.
“If you’re attempting to put your child in a rehab center for drug use… you got to tell the school,” Marricco said. “Those would be considered excused absences”.
