As our nation continues to mourn the deaths from another tragic school shooting, a new report reveals some disturbing data about CMS school district. Last year, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools discovered a total of 19 guns on campuses around our region – higher than any other district in our state and any of the prior 10 years.
Even though CMS accounts for roughly 10% of the total enrollment in North Carolina, we accounted for about 20% of the guns discovered on school campuses.
According to North Carolina’s 2016-17 Annual Report of School Crime and Violence, Garinger, Mallard Creek and West Charlotte high schools each reported finding 3 guns last year, Rocky River High found 2, and eight other schools found 1 each, including; Ashley Park PreK-8 School, Crestdale Middle, Hopewell High, Huntingtowne Farms Elementary, Palisades Park Elementary, Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology, Randolph Middle and Winget Park Elementary.
The report also noted that, while guns on CMS campuses increased last year, guns on all NC campuses actually decreased from the prior year;
One of the most alarming stats from this past year is that elementary students brought in the second highest number of guns to their schools, a far higher percentage than any prior year;
CMS Superintendent Clayton Wilcox has noted that many parents may be unaware of the gun discoveries, as CMS does not notify families about found guns unless there’s a direct threat to their kids.
In light of the recent report and the Feb. 14th school shooting in Florida, Wilcox has just ordered a comprehensive review of CMS’s entire safety system and related policies to find any weak spots or needed changes.
What do you think should be changed at CMS?