In today’s round up of all things CMS, middle schoolers weigh in on bullying and risky behavior, CMPD made three arrests in the shooting of a 15-year-old student and superintendent Peter Gorman says he has no plans to close schools.
CMS Survey:
Middle school is a scary place for many Charlotte-Mecklenburg kids, while high-school students are growing less likely to report fear and bullying at school, a just-released survey of youth risk behaviors shows.
Every two years, health officials poll students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools about violence, drinking, drugs, depression and other activities that put them at risk. The 2009 survey was the third given in high schools, and some positive trends emerged: drops in binge drinking, cigarette smoking, weapons and early sexual activity.
Many of those numbers went up in 2009. For instance, 39 percent said they had been harassed or bullied on school property, up from 26 percent two years earlier. One in 10 said they skipped school in the past month because they felt unsafe, more than double the rate two years before.
Significant minorities of middle- and high-school students reported serious depression and suicidal thoughts. Among high school students, 14 percent said they attempted suicide in the past year, up slightly from 2007.
In other CMS news:
* Charlotte-Mecklenburg Superintendent Peter Gorman says there won’t be any school closings in a plan he’ll present Tuesday to cut up to $65 million from the district’s 2010-11 budget.
* Police arrested three men Thursday morning in connection with a shooting Wednesday that injured a 15-year-old student in east Charlotte, and detectives say they believe the shooting was gang-related. The girl was walking home from East Mecklenburg High School when she was shot.
