A new report by D.C.’s Inspector General has revealed major issues with the District of Columbia’s public schools (beyond what might be taught in classrooms).
The report, entitled “Measures to Combat Gun Violence in D.C. Public Schools”, doesn’t actually detail how widespread “gun violence” is within the 116 schools run by the D.C. Public Schools system. Instead, it documents five areas of concern, ranging from gaps in reporting incidents on campus to a lack of coordination between DCPS and the District of Columbia’s “gun violence prevention initiatives.”
The most worrisome failures, though, stem from conditions inside the schools themselves.
Half of safety- and security-related repairs in D.C. Public Schools — from broken locks to inoperable public-announcement systems — were not completed in the required time frame, the report found. The number of school-based police officers has fallen from 99 to 35 in recent years, leaving almost three-quarters of schools without a regular officer.
The lack of school resource officers may very well be by design, not the result of bureaucratic incompetence. In 2021 the D.C. City Council adopted a plan to remove all SROs by 2025, though they supposedly rescinded that initiative two years ago. As the website DCist reported in May, 2023:
…even with the council repealing its plan to pull police out of schools, it’s unlikely that MPD’s School Safety Division will staff up quickly again due to broader staffing challenges in the department. The council’s original plan would have limited the city to 40 school officers as of this July, but MPD says it’s already below that number; there are currently 38 school resource officers.
So even after supposedly re-funding on-campus law enforcement the number of SROs in place in D.C. schools has continued to decline. According to the Post, the public schools chancellor says he’ll “work with D.C. police to conduct a needs assessment” as a result of the inspector general’s report, but that sounds like bureaucratic buck-pushing more than anything else. It can’t be a shock or a surprise to learn how many campuses don’t have a police officer on site, and this could have been addressed long ago if District officials truly thought this was a significant problem.
The lack of SRO’s is important, but it’s far from the only failing within D.C. public schools uncovered by the inspector general.
In schools, half of repair requests for broken doors and fences, nonfunctional security alarms, and broken glass remained open for more than 45 days. In some cases when repairs were marked as complete, school staff members said, the underlying issue was never addressed and required more attention.
There is also some confusion over whether DGS or the school system is responsible for certain repairs, leading to delays, the report noted.
“This infrastructure failure creates fundamental vulnerabilities that compromise student and staff safety,” the report said. “For example, during an active shooter event, a functioning door lock might be the only barrier between students and harm.”
However, DGS officials said that not every broken door or window rises to the level of an emergency. For example, a broken ground-level window poses a greater threat than one that is higher above ground. Nearly 87 percent of the repairs the agency considers to be high priority are fixed within 24 hours.
Yeah, but how many broken doors, non-functioning security alarms, and other issues aren’t considered “high priority”?
Republicans in Congress are seeking to re-assert authority over the District when it comes to things like concealed carry reciprocity and “gun-free zones”. Perhaps its time for the House and Senate to start exercising more oversight over D.C.’s woeful security in its public schools as well. As we’ve seen time and again, the District much better at putting new gun control laws on the books than it is at cracking down on violent crime. It’s great that the GOP is taking steps to ensure that visitors can defend themselves, but it would be nice if D.C. students could at least count on a school resource officer being present in case of an attack in the classroom.
Editor’s Note: President Trump is fighting to dismantle the Department of Education and ensure America’s kids get the education they deserve.
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