Gwinnett County school officials say there were fewer serious incidents committed by students on school grounds last school year in comparison to the prior school year.
According to an annual report shared with board members, Gwinnett recorded 382 incidents of terroristic threats, drug possession or use and other felony offenses on school property during the 2014-15 school year. Gwinnett recorded 452 such offenses during the 2013-14 school year.
Gwinnett ordered 229 more out-of-school suspensions than they did the prior school year. The report said Gwinnett ordered 877 fewer in-school suspensions.
The report also found black students in Gwinnett continue to be brought before school hearing officers at a disproportionate rate. Black students were brought before hearing officers nearly 55 percent of the time, although black students make up about 30 percent of Gwinnett’s student enrollment.
Gwinnett officials noted in the report that 51 more black students were provided adult mentors through the district's Community-Based Mentoring Program, which was initially created in 2009 to improve the academic performance of at-risk black male students. Gwinnett started a pilot program in 2014 to assist troubled black female students.
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