Violence down, graduation rates up for Iowa City schools

Bullying and fights are down and the graduation rate is up in the Iowa City school district.

That's the good news from the district's annual safety report, released Friday. It is a collection of student and staff surveys and reports on issues that include school safety, discipline, attendance and mobility.

“Overall, our staff and students are reporting that they feel safe,” Associate Superintendent Jim Behle said.

A student survey was completed by sixth, eighth and 11th graders. The percentage of those students who reported being bullied two or more times in the previous 30 days was 26 percent, 24 percent and 16 percent, respectively, last year. That's down from 41 percent, 32 percent and 22 percent the year before.

There was a 15 percent decrease in the number of students who reported being in a fight on school property. Suspensions for fighting were up, but officials attributed that to a more consistent enforcement of penalties last year. Principals said the fights were less intense and did not involve as many students.

The district's graduation rate increased for the second year in a row, hitting 93.2 percent in 2007-08, the most recent year available. That was above the statewide rate of 88.7 percent.

The district's dropout rate last year was 1.9 percent, the same as the previous two years. Black students accounted for 52 percent of the total dropouts last year, although black students made up just 16 percent of the district's junior high and senior high students.

That has been a problem in recent years, but Behle and Superintendent Lane Plugge said the district has several programs aimed at minorities that they believe will help. Also, secondary school staff this year will receive cultural competency training.

“I think it will take time to reverse that trend,” Behle said.

With the help of a federal grant, the district has developed a curriculum for social and emotional behavior addressing violence, mental health and substance abuse among young people.

That curriculum will start to be implemented this year, and Behle and Plugge said that should help the district continue to make gains on safety and behavioral issues.