SPANISH FORK -- Parents in the Nebo School District can rest a little easier, with fewer fears that local schools have turned into playgrounds of violence.
A report on school safety, completed after the board heard reports last month that fist fights are common at high schools, showed that 1 percent of Nebo students said they fell prey to violence at school last year.Nebo's violent-act figure has remained constant since 1996, said Scott Wilson, Nebo's student-services director.
The south Utah County's low figures for school violence is a sharp contrast to a common public perception that schools aren't safe havens. School safety has been a swirling issue since the Columbine High School fatal shootings last April.
While multiple-victim homicides at U.S. schools have increased from one in the 1994-95 school year to five in 1997-98 -- and will go up this year with the Columbine count and a subsequent fatal shooting incident in Conyers, Ga. -- the number of firearms in schools and physical altercations have decreased.
"What many people don't understand," Wilson said, "is that violence in public schools remained constant or declined in the past few years."
Wilson, who is new to his post in the 20,000-student district, takes heart in the national data that indicates children are three times as likely to be attacked outside school than while in English classes or playing tag on the school grounds during recess.
In a perfect world, children wouldn't be victimized at any time, any place, he said. But it is comforting to know, he said, that schools are largely providing a safe place for children during the day.
Nebo's solution to combating violence seems simple: In short, educators want to make sure both students and parents feel connected to the school.
A focus on academic achievements, coupled with respectful discourse between students and teachers, create safe environments, he said.
Nebo also is banking on help from parenting classes, additional counselor training, a new crisis management plan, security cameras and campus police officers.
Kaye Westwood, member of Nebo's Board of Education, thinks junior and high school teachers should be milling in hallways between classes. An adult's watchful eye could cut down on hallway high jinks.
"I know that would help," Westwood said.
"Nebo feels all students have the right to feel safe at school. As a district we'll do everything to make sure those rights are ensured," Wilson said. "Although the statistics look good in some areas, we still have a lot of work to do. Even one incidence of violence is too many."