Atlanta, Georgia – A report on school safety has drawn the attention of parents, educators, and legislators around Georgia as weapon control in schools and school safety remain one of the largest concerns American people and parents have in recent years. A troubling trend has been brought to light by a recent state record: the number of times students carried guns to school campuses in the 2023–2024 academic year.
The data, which describes the disciplinary procedures that were taken in different districts, indicates that there were many cases in which children were discovered in possession of weapons, ranging from knives to firearms. Although concerning, the 19 disciplinary actions involving knives that the Barrow County school system reported is not the lowest nor the greatest number in the state.
In Gwinnett County, things seem even worse. With knives involved 191 times, the district saw the highest number of weapon-related disciplinary occurrences in the state. Five incidents of kids bringing firearms to school were also reported; four of these incidents involved handguns and one involved a rifle. In Gwinnett County alone, 204 disciplinary proceedings were related to other forms of weapons.
With 145 cases involving knives, nine involving guns, 47 involving other sorts of weapons, and two involving other firearms, Cobb County likewise reported significant numbers. Similarly, a total of 144 disciplinary actions were recorded in Fulton County, involving knives 84 times, firearms 10 times, and other weapons 50 times.
On the other hand, a number of districts, including Bremen City, Baker, Candler, Clay, Cook, Echols, Glascock, Hancock, Jenkins, Johnson, Meriwether, Miller, Stewart, Talbot, Taliaferro, Terrell, Webster, Wheeler, Wilcox, and Wilkinson counties, reported no weapon-related disciplinary proceedings for the year. This variation reveals a striking disparity in incidences using weapons around the state.
Concerns from parents and students as the new school year gets underway have resulted in requests for more protection. There are many who support installing firearm detectors in schools and enforcing clear bag regulations. To complicate matters further, the Georgia Board of Education does not currently keep track of the existence of metal detectors or weapon detectors in schools.
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The urgent need for improved security procedures and preventive measures to guarantee student safety throughout Georgia’s educational institutions is highlighted by this state-wide data. In the next years, as educators work to establish safer learning environments, the community’s reaction to these results will probably have an impact on school regulations.
More resources about School Safety Planning can be found on Georgia’s Department of Education here.
