By Jeanie Groh

jeanie.groh@salisburypost.com

 

While Rowan-Salisbury’s elementary schools are some of the safest in the state, acts of crime and violence are above average in the district’s middle and high schools.

The average rate of crime or violence per 100 students in Rowan County is .05 in elementary schools, 1.2 in middle schools and 1.38 in high schools.

Of Rowan-Salisbury’s 20 elementary schools, only three had any incidents of crime – Overton, Koontz and Rockwell. Respectively, they had .49, .36 and .2 acts of crime or violence per 100 students.

The number is less than half the number of incidents last year, which were calculated at a rate of .13, and is the lowest the rate the district has recorded since 2010.

Bostian, China Grove, Cleveland, Hanford Dole, Enochville, Faith, Granite Quarry, Hurley, Isenberg, Knollwood, Landis, Millbridge, Morgan, Mount Ulla, North Rowan, Shive and Woodleaf had no reported acts of crime or violence.

Middle school’s rate of crime, however, has nearly doubled in number from last year.

Corriher-Lipe Middle School had the highest rate of any of the middle school in the district. In fact, excluding Henderson Independent High School, the middle school has the highest rate of crime and violence in the county.

“We are very aware and involved with our students,” said Corriher-Lipe Principal Dr. Beverly Pugh. “Because we’re so involved with our kids, we hear information and we follow up with our kids.”

In April of last year, the district was able to place school resource officers at each middle school.

Pugh said she believes the presence of a school resource officer had an impact on the school’s reporting numbers, adding that he was more likely to catch things and made the reporting process run much more smoothly.

“I really think we can attribute it to having a school resource officer,” she said.

Southeast Middle followed Corriher-Lipe with 1.4 acts of crime or violence per 100 students. China Grove Middle had 1.15, Knox had .88, North Rowan Middle had .82 and West Rowan Middle had .42.

Henderson Independent High School had 20.34 acts of crime or violence per 100 students. The school, which serves students in grades 6 through 12, gives students a second chance within the Rowan-Salisbury School System.

West Rowan High School had a rate of 2.25 acts per 100 students, South Rowan had 2.18, North Rowan had 1.01 and Carson had .97. Salisbury High School reported .35 incidents and East Rowan reported .35. Rowan County Early College, which meets on the Campus of Rowan Cabarrus Community College reported no incidents.