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Trenton schools report fewer assaults but high suspensions and rising vape incidents, assistant superintendent says
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Hope Grant told the board the district saw declines in assaults and fights but reported hundreds of suspensions and an uptick in nonviolent incidents largely tied to vape possession; staff plan targeted programs, restorative practices and family outreach next year.
Assistant Superintendent Hope Grant presented an end‑of‑year student safety report to the Trenton Board of Education on June 29, saying assaults and fights fell from the prior year but suspension totals remain high.
Grant reported 29 confirmed incidents of violence in the most recent reporting period, down from 49 the previous year, and said fights also dropped to 40. She said the district recorded 19 unfounded HIP allegations and 9 confirmed HIP allegations. "For the 2nd reporting period, our incidents of HIP — so we hit 19 unfounded allegations and 9 confirmed allegations," Grant said. On vandalism, she reported one arson, one damage to property, four thefts and zero trespasses in the period she covered.
Grant told the board that nonviolent incidents rose to 124 and that much of that category is driven by students found in possession of vapes. "This is overwhelmingly what this number is looking like, vaping or possession of vapes," she said, noting the problem appears across grade levels. She explained that vapes are often confiscated and not returned; if staff suspect substance use, cases are handled under substance‑use procedures.
The report showed 737 suspensions and 589 unique students suspended over the year, and Grant said some of those students were repeat suspenders. She provided a demographic breakdown showing Black male students, including those in special education, were disproportionately represented among suspensions.
Grant credited a multi‑tiered approach for improvements — classroom kindness campaigns, trauma‑informed care, restorative practices and "zen" or calming rooms in some schools. She said the district will work with its Student Assistance and Care (SAC) team to expand targeted programs and family outreach. "We are going to be really hyper focused next year working with our SAC team to create programs and more intentional information to families so they really understand how dangerous and unhealthy vapes are," she said.
Board members pressed for clarity on definitions. Grant clarified vandalism includes arson, damage to property, false alarms, threats and trespass, and she said confiscated vapes are not returned to students. The board asked staff to continue refining data and to provide follow‑up as the district implements targeted prevention and support strategies.
The board did not take a vote on policy changes at the meeting; Grant said many interventions will be operational in the coming school year and staff will return with implementation details.
