Number of students charged in Cedar Rapids schools declines after changes made to school resource officer program

CEDAR RAPIDS — The number of Black students charged with a crime in Cedar Rapids schools decreased over a three-month period, compared with previous years, after changes were made this year to the school resource officer program — although the rate of Black students charged still is higher than that of their white peers.

Comparing August through November data from 2018 with August through November data from this year, there has been an 88.4 percent reduction in charges for white high school students, and a 78.7 reduction in charges for Black high school students, according to Cedar Rapids school board documents.

The information is being presented to the Cedar Rapids school board in a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the Educational Leadership and Support Center, 2500 Edgewood Rd. NW.

Superintendent Noreen Bush said the data represents a “process of improvement.”

“I’m really glad we have the data in front of us. … I’m seeing the dial move a little bit, but it’s not there yet,” she said.

Earlier this year, data from the Iowa Department of Human Rights showed that Black students in Cedar Rapids schools were six times more likely to have allegations of criminal wrongdoing made against them than white students.

Less than 3 percent of all students were arrested by school resource officers over a four-year period. Black students, however, were arrested at higher rates than white students. Black students make up 19.1 percent of the student population.

The district and Cedar Rapids Police Department set joint goals of reducing arrests and charges filed against all students by 50 percent or more, and of bringing a 50 percent or greater reduction in the disproportionality of arrests of Black students.

An amended agreement for the school resource officer program — under which city police officers operate in some schools — was approved in October by the Cedar Rapids City Council and in November by the Cedar Rapids school board.

Added to the agreement are three goals of the program:

In November, one Black student in a Cedar Rapids high school was charged, compared with over five in November 2019 and over 10 in November 2018, according to the data.

During that same period, four white students were charged in Cedar Rapids high schools, compared with more than five in November 2019 and 20 in November 2018.

At McKinley and Roosevelt middle schools, one Black student and no white students have been charged in 2021. In 2019, five black students and three white students were charged, and in 2018, 11 Black students and four white students were charged.

Ten white students and nine Black students have been diverted to other programs instead of arrests between August and November 2021.

Since the amended agreement was approved, school resource officers have provided training to staff in some schools in the event of an active shooter situation. School resource officers also have worked with building principals on facilitating, leading and organizing lockdown drills.

School resource officers will begin wearing “soft” uniforms later this month to appear more approachable to students.

Full-time school resource officers remain at Kennedy, Jefferson, Washington and Metro high schools and Polk Alternative. The resource officer program was piloted in January 2010 at Jefferson High School, and then expanded to Washington and Kennedy the following year.

Full-time officers also were removed permanently from McKinley and Roosevelt middle schools before the first day of school on Aug. 23. Those two officers are now available to all Cedar Rapids elementary and middle schools as an on-call resource.

Also under the amended agreement, police officers in Cedar Rapids schools are not to be involved in enforcing school rules or discipline and must allow parents or guardians to be present if their children are questioned by officers in school.

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