NCJ Number
187880
Date Published
August 1999
Length
89 pages
Annotation
This report describes State implementation of the Gun-Free Schools Act during school year 1997-1998.
Abstract
The Gun-Free Schools Act mandates that each State receiving Federal funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act must have a State law requiring all local educational agencies (LEAs) to expel from school for at least 1 year any student found bringing a firearm to school. State laws must also authorize the LEA chief administering officer to modify any such expulsion on a case-by-case basis. In addition, the Act must be construed to be consistent with the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. Data for this report were collected from each State department of education. (The term "states" refers to all 56 States and territories.) The report includes a summary of overall findings, data summary in bulleted, graphic, and tabular form, and a page for each State. Fifty-six States expelled 3,930 students for bringing a firearm to school. Fifty-seven percent of the expulsions were students in high school, 33 percent were in junior high school, and 10 percent were in elementary school. Sixty-two percent involved a handgun, 7 percent involved a rifle or shotgun, and 31 percent involved another type of firearm such as a bomb, grenade, or starter pistol. California and Texas each had more than 300 expulsions; Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, and Northern Marianas had none. Delaware, Oregon, and South Dakota had the highest number of expulsions per 1,000 students. Figures, tables, appendixes