Philly cuts ‘persistently dangerous’ schools 47%

Fewer city public schools are considered "persistently dangerous" under federal guidelines after incidents of reported violence declined last year, the Philadelphia School District announced Monday.

In 2010, 19 district schools were considered so unsafe that parents had the right to send their children elsewhere.

This year, there are 10 such schools - a 47 percent drop.

Reported violence was down 14 percent across the district, to 4,220 documented incidents in 2010-11 from 4,921.

That does not take into account a 4 percent drop in student population over that year.

Overall, the district went from 30.6 violent incidents per 1,000 students in 2009-10 to 27.3 violent incidents per 1,000 students in 2010-11.

Still, it is clear that not all crime in the district is reported. The Inquirer series "Assault on Learning" this year found that underreporting crime is a serious, systemwide problem, a conclusion that has been corroborated by a blue-ribbon task force on school safety.

A top district official said this year that the 154,482-student district has a "credibility issue" when it comes to its crime statistics.

Chief Inspector Myron Patterson, the Philadelphia police officer who oversees district safety, said the newly released statistics had credibility.

"I would see no reason why they wouldn't," Patterson said in an interview.

Patterson attributed the positive trend to stronger relationships in schools and community and better training of school police. The district also focused more attention last year on climate and safety issues at 46 schools with a history of violence.

"The systems and processes are working," Patterson said. "We're always scrutinizing, dissecting - where do we need to be, who needs more assistance? This is not just because of one entity. This is everyone."

Making the persistently dangerous list this year were Edison, Fels, Frankford, Kensington Business, Lincoln, Northeast, Sayre, South Philadelphia and Strawberry Mansion High Schools and Shaw Middle School.

The schools that came off the list are Douglas, FitzSimons, Furness, Gratz, Olney East, Olney West, Overbrook, Roxborough, and Vaux High Schools and Clemente and Vare Middle Schools.

Four of the schools that came off the list are now run by charter organizations - Vare by Universal Cos., Gratz by Mastery Charter Schools, and a now-merged Olney East and West by Aspira. But the schools made it off the list while under district management.

Another school that shed the persistently dangerous label, Vaux, is a district-run Promise Academy, or turnaround school.

Inclusion on the list is based on the ratio of reported "dangerous" violence and enrollment. Statistics over two years are considered.

One school that had been off the list returned this year - Northeast High, the city's largest school with more than 3,200 students.

Patterson said that in some ways, Northeast's designation is misleading. Despite its size, Northeast has long been considered a relatively calm campus.

Though the school had a number of weapons found when students went through metal detectors at the school's entrance, "Northeast is not totally off the hook with incidents," Patterson said. "You're almost penalized for having a lot of students."

Northeast's violent incidents actually went down, from 66 to 59, said district spokesman Fernando Gallard.

"But we're not perfect, and we're going to do what we can to help Northeast not be on that list," Patterson said.

The school could pick up some pointers from Furness, a comprehensive high school in South Philadelphia that came off the list this year.

Since principal Timothy McKenna arrived in 2008, attendance and academics are up and violence is down.

That is a triumph for a school that takes all comers and has the numbers to prove it - 30 percent of students are English language learners, 20 percent require special-education services, and 75 percent live below the poverty line.

The key, McKenna said, is listening to students, incorporating their voice into the school, giving them a reason to show up and take pride in Furness, which has added clubs, sports, and advanced-placement courses.

"I think there's a positive vibe in the building - the teachers are motivated and feel supported," he said. "The students are actively engaged. More kids are proud to be affiliated with the building, and you can't say that about every school."

Despite a crumbling building, Furness looks better, too. The school has new murals and mosaics. McKenna managed to get a weight room for students and teachers to use.

He ordered the old lunch tables, which were bolted to the floor and arranged in rows, removed. The lunch room is brighter now, with circular tables more conducive to teenage conversation.

"Little things build up to big things," McKenna said.

And his students and staff know, McKenna said - if violence happens, it will get documented.

"This school reports accurately," he said. "We take the safety and security of our students very seriously."

Furness lost more than 20 staffers to budget cuts this year, but McKenna said the school would keep its positive trend going.

"We're making it work," he said. "We have no choice."