EDITORIAL: School violence demands urgency from board, CCSD

Closing your eyes and pretending something doesn’t exist won’t make it go away. Unfortunately, that comes close to describing the Clark County School District Board of Trustees’ approach to school violence.

Last Friday, the school board held a meeting to discuss school violence. That’s certainly timely.

Disciplinary issues increased during the first semester, including headline-producing fights and gun incidents. It’s beyond what should be expected from the disruptions caused by virtual learning and the pandemic. This semester, a viral video showed one girl repeatedly sucker-punching another while classmates sat just feet away. The district was quick to urge the public not to share the video.

It’s been less quick to implement policies that would stop incidents like this. As the Review-Journal’s Julie Wootton-Greener reported, the district had fewer arrests during the fall semester when compared to pre-pandemic times.

More violence, fewer arrests. One might hope the school board would see that as a glaring warning light that demands immediate investigation. One might expect trustees to haul Superintendent Jesus Jara before the board and grill him on this breakdown. One might think this situation demands immediate, serious action.

But anyone thinking that probably hasn’t been paying too much attention to the board. Trustees Linda Cavazos, Danielle Ford and Lisa Guzman originally wanted to discuss school violence at this Thursday’s board meeting. But that discussion won’t happen until the board meeting on March 10.

It’s not clear what, if anything, will happen after that meeting. Three board members, trustees Katie Williams, Lola Brooks and Evelyn Garcia Morales, voted against even adding the agenda item.

That meant Board President Irene Cepeda was once again the deciding vote. She said board officers would gather after the March meeting to come up with a plan that could be voted on. One shudders to think how many students will be hurt between now and then.

Some trustees wanted community meetings. Certainly, Mr. Jara should be accountable to the public. But talking isn’t going to stop this.

What’s needed is discipline. For several years, the district has embraced “restorative” justice, instead of consequences that should include suspensions and expulsions in serious cases.

The results have been predictable. When students see that misbehavior is met with words, not action, more students act out. That damages the physical safety of some and the learning environment of many.

To stop the violence, the board of trustees needs to bring back school discipline.