During a news conference in front of their West Philadelphia school, the students alleged that city police officers beat students with batons during a Sept. 18 melee that resulted in 22 students being arrested.

The students, also members of the Philadelphia Student Union, an activist group, called on the Police Department to suspend without pay the officers involved, and they asked for a meeting with James Golden, the district's chief safety officer.

"We don't come to school to be beaten, we come here to learn," said senior Candace Carter, who estimated that 50 city officers were in the school that day.

Officials said police attempted to stop students from entering the school - 90 minutes late - because the students weren't wearing required uniforms.

A male student tried to run through the entrance anyway and was grabbed by an officer, said police spokeswoman Officer Tanya Little. While another officer restrained the male student, a female student ran up and hit the officer, Little said.

The conflict escalated as a second female student ran up and struck the officer and other students began to incite the crowd, police said.

Two female students were charged with felony counts of assaulting a police officer. Another student was charged with assault on a teacher, and 17 students were charged with disorderly conduct, Little said.

Yesterday, the students also complained that their school of 680 9th- through 12th-graders, is academically dysfunctional.

There are not enough textbooks in core subjects for students to take home, they said, while some classes are taught by substitutes because the school doesn't have enough certified teachers.

Senior Matthew Johnson said that although a new art teacher has hardly any supplies, the school has plenty of district police officers, whose number grew larger following the incident.

"Every time I come into this school I don't think of it as a school anymore. I think of it like a prison," Johnson said. "Cops are constantly watching. There are cameras in every hallway. So it's not really a learning environment."

Fernando Gallard, a district spokesman, said the charges of a book shortage have been found to be untrue. He could not say how many of the school's teachers lacked certification, a requirement of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

"If there are specific complaints from the students about how they are being treated, we would like to investigate them," Gallard said.

Students can report complaints to Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's hot line, 215-400-6161, he said, or to district Inspector General Jack Downs at 215-400-4030.

Police Lt. Frank Vanore said that if the students have filed a complaint, it will be investigated; if not, the department will get in touch with Golden's office to make sure the students are informed of how to do so. *