The number of resource officers and armed police officers on school grounds decreased during the 2021-2022 school year as school districts recovered from the pandemic, according to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics.
A study released Wednesday looked into school safety and security and concluded that despite concerns about school shootings, the number of police officers present at all times is low.
Forty-four percent of schools said they had a school resource officer on campus during the 2021-2022 school year, a 5% decrease compared to the 2019-2020 school year. The number of police officers carrying firearms was 45% in the 2021-2022 school year, down from 51% in the 2019-2020 school year.
Meanwhile, 67% of public schools reported violent incidents in the 2021-2022 school year. However, reports of illegal drug use in public schools plummeted by 34% from the 2018-2019 school year to the 2021-2022 school year.
Peggy G. Carr, Director of the National Center for Education Statistics, said, “These critically important data will help address some of the challenges public schools face in staying focused on teaching and learning, including violence, drug use, and bullying.'' It clarifies the issues.” PhD from the Institute of Education Sciences, Ministry of Education.
“At the same time, we also gained insight into how public schools are strengthening support beyond academics, with nine out of 10 public schools found to have increased social and emotional support for students. ” she added.
Some mental health services also declined, with only 38% receiving treatment for mental health disorders, down from 42% in the 2019-2020 school year. However, 90% of schools offered tutoring, mentoring, or coaching.
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