BUFFALO, N.Y. — A report by the USA Today Network shows that over a six-year period the Buffalo Public Schools had, by a wide margin, the highest number of incidents of reportable violence among more than 700 school districts and charter schools outside of New York City.
The report compared data gathered through the end of the 2017-2018 school year.
Of the school districts reflected in the data, Buffalo is also the largest, so it logically might stand to reason its number of incidents would be the highest.
Still, Buffalo’s more than 12,000 reported incidents was more than 3,000 more than the runner up in this dubious category, which was Syracuse.
“It’s a surprise to me in terms of how far Buffalo allegedly is over other districts," said Phillip Rumore, President of the Buffalo Teachers Federation which is the union representing teachers.
Incidents of Violence
It’s important to understand that what qualifies as a reportable incident of violence goes beyond fighting.
It also encompasses bullying, harassment by one student toward another on social media, or -among several other things - the discovery of a student with a weapon (whether it was ever used or even brandished).
“The data that is being reported isn’t data that specifically speaks to a violent act that is taking place,” noted Buffalo Public Schools Associate Superintendent for Student Support Services Eric Jay Rosser.
Data May Not Show Accurate Picture
The data can also paint an incomplete picture because the information is self-reported by schools, meaning it’s only as accurate as a school may want it to be.
This could mean that instead of there being significantly more violence in the Buffalo Public Schools, the district might be more steadfast in its reporting of incidents than other districts might be.
"I can’t speak to other schools because I am not a member of other schools, but what I can share with you is that we are very transparent when it comes to reporting our data and sharing our data," said Rosser, who also noted that in the last two years the same data shows the number of incidents reported by Buffalo schools actually fell....by 48%.
Making Reporting More Accurate
Based on what he is hearing from teachers Rumore said he believes things are improving. But he also suggests that not all incidents are being reported and that there are ways to improve the process to better reflect the situation regarding violence in schools.
“We have complaints constantly from teachers who say the incidents in schools aren’t being reported by the schools like they are supposed to be. We should make it so that a teacher can report an incident automatically to the state, because what we're hearing is that sometimes (when reported to administrators) it disappears," Rumore said.