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7.2.3 Total Weapon Incidents in School by Weapon Type & Incidents per 1,000 Students
Why is this important?
Education of our youth needs to take place in a safe environment. Nationally, incidents of spectacular violence around public schools have dramatized the consequences of an unsafe setting, making this an important indicator to track.
Revenge or random violence is not the only reason kids might carry a weapon to school. Sometimes when kids are bullied, they might feel they need to protect themselves or feel safer with a weapon of some sort in their possession. Whatever the reason for carrying a weapon to school, it increases the probability that a student's dispute with the school or that a slight from his or her fellows may erupt violently. Many districts now proclaim "zero tolerance" for students in whose possession weapons are found. Laws in Washington State regarding weapons in schools can be accessed here.
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) requires that states report the number of students who are suspended or expelled for violence and drugs. In Washington State, these are reported to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), who then reports to the DOE.
This indicator measures the number of weapons incidents and a rate per 1,000 students in public K-12 schools in Skagit County. Additional information, including the actual number of weapons incidents occurring by school district, can be found in the “Download Data” section. Washington State is offered as a benchmark.
Where are we?
During the 2023-2024 school year in Skagit County, the number of weapon incidents was:
- 18 involving knives and daggers, decreasing from 49, since the 2004-2005 school year.
- 20 involving other weapons, decreasing from 31, since the 2004-2005 school year.
- 8 involving firearms, increasing from 2, since the 2004-2005 school year.
During the 2023-2024 school year, the rate of weapon incidents per 1,000 students in:
- Skagit County was 2.8, decreasing from 4.3 since the 2004-2005 school year.
- Washington State was 2.3, decreasing from 3.0 since the 2004-2005 school year.
Data Sources
Total weapon incidents in schools by county/state data provided to Kelley Cullen by special request to
- Adam Villani, WA OSPI Analyst (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction)
For total headcounts for school districts: Data Portal, OPSI
- In the search bar, type, "Enrollment", and select, "Report Card Enrollment ____ (Desired year) School Year". Select Export, and "CSV in Excel". Filter data for desired school district and year.
Notes:
1) Enrollment numbers are taken in October of each school year.
2) Do not include "ESD 189 acting as a school district" in the enrollment total for Skagit County. Skagit County public school districts are: :
3) Due to OSPI's Accountability Rules, Institutional, Tribal, Reengagement and Alternative Schools with greater than 50% of their enrollment from outside of their district are not included in school district level data. As a result, some schools districts have high schools that aren't being computed in the district level estimates but are being counted in the county level estimates.
4) Firearm incidents is the sum of incidents that included handguns, rifles or shotguns, multiple firearms, firearms and other weapons, and other firearms defined by the Gun Free Schools Act.
5) School and school districts are not always confined to city or county boundaries.
