New Schools Added to NYC Impact Program
NEW YORK – Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has announced an update to the School Safety Initiative, now in its fourth year.
He announced that two schools, Jamaica and Campus Magnet High Schools in Queens, will be added to the Impact program. Conditions have improved and stabilized at two current Impact schools, Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx and Norman Thomas High School in Manhattan, to the point that they can now be transitioned out of the Impact program. Total crime for the two schools has dropped 54 percent compared to the same period last year, along with a 42 percent drop in violent crime and a 67 percent drop in major crime. At Norman Thomas alone, the number of misdemeanor and felony assaults fell 86 percent. The Impact School initiative was created to establish a climate of order and safety at a small number of schools that accounted for a disproportionate amount of crime. Compared to the previous school year, total crime at the nine current Impact Schools dropped 19 percent, violent crime dropped 9 percent, and major crime dropped 20 percent through January 7, 2007.
“We are making good on the promise to make schools a safe haven and provide a stable learning environment for students,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Conditions have improved at two of our Impact schools, allowing them to be removed from the program, and now we can take our successful strategy to two new schools. The School Safety initiative now has a four year track record of investing in the future of our children.”
The mayor also reported that there was a continued reduction in violent crime at 15 schools that were transitioned out of Impact status since the program began. Violent crime at these schools fell an additional 16 percent after dropping 45 percent last year. Seven current Impact schools will remain on the Impact list, they are Canarsie, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Newtown, Samuel Tilden, Sheepshead Bay and Walton.
Through January 7, violent crime increased 50 percent at Jamaica High School , which would make it the third highest ranked Impact school for violence. Through January 7, total crime at Campus Magnet grew 47 percent. During this period, the school would have ranked second among Impact schools in the number of violent crimes. Impact schools adopt a zero tolerance policy for infractions listed in the New York City Discipline Code. All infractions are met with graduated responses ranging from peer mediation and negotiation, conflict resolution, and anti-bullying awareness, up to suspensions at the principal’s and superintendent’s level.
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New York City Mayor Bloomberg press release
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