Board approves school safety report showing 114 incidents, including three weapons

The Winslow Township Board of Education on Sept. 10 approved the district's school safety report covering Jan. 1'June 30, 2025, which the administration said recorded 114 total incidents across the district, including three weapon incidents.

The report, presented by district staff member Mister Davis, itemized harassment, intimidation and bullying (HIB) incidents, instances of violence, and substance incidents by school. Davis told the board the district logged 56 HIB incidents, three weapon incidents, 42 violence incidents, zero vandalism incidents and 13 substance incidents for a total of 114 incidents during the reporting period.

The largest single-site totals in the reporting segment were at the middle school (46 incidents, including 27 instances categorized as violence and seven substance incidents) and the high school (35 incidents, including 6 substance incidents and multiple assaults and threats). School-by-school counts in the presentation included: School 1 (5 incidents), School 2 (1), School 3 (3), School 4 (2, including an air gun), School 5 (12 HIB incidents and 2 weapon incidents including one handgun and one knife), School 6 (8 incidents), middle school (46 incidents) and high school (35 incidents). The administration summarized the district total as 114 incidents for the reporting period.

Davis described the HIB investigative process and communications the district uses. "Letters go out in the beginning, letting parties of, you know, the victim as well as the aggressor know that something has been reported and is being investigated," he said, and added that counselors in each building serve as anti-bullying specialists and conduct investigations within the state-prescribed timelines.

Board members asked how the district holds adults accountable for safety problems and whether principals or activity supervisors can be disciplined when incidents occur during their watch. Davis said principals lead building-level responses and discipline, and that the district conducts investigations and reaches out to parents. "No principal would tell you that they want to have any fight or incident in their buildings," he said. He added the district cannot control all behavior that occurs off campus but that staff are expected to follow board policies when supervising students.

Board counsel Mister Fitz answered a question about weapons policies by citing state rules in the context of school discipline: "According to state statute, if someone brings a handgun into the school... it's an automatic expulsion," Fitz said, describing the district's historically strict stance on firearms on campus.

Several board members urged additional preventive measures. One member asked whether principals could provide quarterly updates on interventions; another suggested reviewing board and building policies after the appearance of weapons. Davis said the district uses a student information platform to track repeat offenders and monitor patterns, and that some categories, such as substance abuse, include multiple classifications (marijuana, alcohol, paraphernalia, etc.).

After discussion, a board member moved to approve the safety/HIB report presentation and the board approved the motion by voice vote.

Why it matters: The report documents incidents that implicate student safety and district policy (including the automatic-expulsion statute for firearms). Board members pressed for more proactive, school-level reporting and for clarity about how administrators are held to supervision standards. The presence of three weapon incidents and dozens of violence incidents at secondary schools prompted follow-up requests from members for policy and supervisory reviews.

What's next: Board members asked administration to return with any recommended policy changes or quarterly updates on supervision and discipline practices. The administration also said a technology and counseling review and other school programs are ongoing across the district.