This is what happens when you take their drugs away. They embrace their guns and religion. Pot is the opiate of the student body. It will only get worse now that the narcs took that 15 lbs. off the street.

Union City tops violence report
SCHOOLS RESPOND TO STATS

Tuesday, September 16, 2008
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Union City led Hudson County in the total number of reported violent incidents at schools with 165, according to a report released yesterday by the state Department of Education.

But Union City Superintendent of Schools Stanley Sanger said yesterday his district is getting singled out because of its "upfront and honest" reporting.

The report, which breaks down the number of incidents of violence, vandalism, weapons, and "substances" for the 2006-2007 school year, also showed Union City - the county's second largest district with roughly 10,000 students - with the most incidents of vandalism, with 33.

"We truly report everything in Union City," Sanger said. "We do not believe in sweeping anything under the rug and we are proud of the support service system that we have in place to address these issues and assist students."

One school official acknowledged yesterday that his school's record is not as pristine as the state report would indicate.

According to the report, C.R.E.A.T.E. Charter School in Jersey City had no incidents to report. Weehawken, Soaring Heights Charter School in Jersey City, Elysian Charter of School of Hoboken and Hoboken Charter School also reported zeroes across the board.

But, Steve Lipski, a councilman and C.R.E.A.T.E.'s founder, said his school reported a handful of incidents to the state for the 2006-07 school year. Last school year, he said, the school had two fights, apprehended a student with a gun before he entered the building, and had 60 suspensions involving special education students.

Due to the disparity in the number of incidents C.R.E.A.T.E. reported in 2005-06, (59), and the 2006-07, (0), the Department of Education will "conduct an inquiry to see what's responsible for the change," said DOE spokesman Richard Vespucci.

Jersey City, by far the largest district with 28,910 students (not counting charter schools), had the most incidents involving weapons, with 43. School officials could not elaborate on what the weapons were. Oddly, there were only five substance incidents reported.

With only 165 students, Schomburg Charter School in Jersey City reported a shockingly high 69 incidents, according to the report.

Schomburg Principal Emma Sheffield said yesterday 69 was "typed in error by a support person." She couldn't provide the correct figure yesterday, adding that her school actually has 337 students.

Vespucci said regulations are in place for school districts to discipline school employees caught falsifying data.

State monitors raise their eyebrows when they see significant changes from year to year, not necessarily low numbers, he added.