Hearing addresses Rochester school arrests
Arrests in city schools have dropped in recent months, but underlying issues still merit attention, parents, teachers and advocates told school board members at a public hearing last week.
Following a spike at the start of last school year, arrests in city schools have declined back to earlier levels, according to district statistics. But at Thursday’s hearing, board members heard testimony from some who said arrests — particularly for mental health reasons — require further review.
“It is a growing problem, and it’s related to many different other issues that are connected to this,” said Howard Eagle, a district parent and retired social studies teacher. “There is an increase, there’s no doubt.”
District teacher Lori Thomas told board members a story about a young girl arrested after being overcome by the stress of a test.
Statistics for student mental health arrests were not immediately available.
Board member Van White said the district responded as it should to the increased arrest numbers at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year.
“We clearly had a problem, and I think we responded to it,” White said.
White said he was interested in hearing more about mental health arrests.
“I’m not sure … that we’ve explored whether we’re making more mental hygiene arrests for young children,” White said. “That’s probably an area that I would like to hear the administration talk more about.”
NRAMOS@DemocratandChronicle.com
Upcoming meetings
The Rochester school board will hold public meetings to discuss two pending issues this week.
Both meetings are open to the public, and will be held in the district’s third floor conference room at 131 W. Broad St.
