SCHOOL REPORT: VIOLENCE, DRUGS AND ALCOHOL ON THE RISE

SACRAMENTO (AP) - In a time of sharp concern about school safety, the
state's latest report on campus crime shows a 7 percent increase in violent
offenses and an 11 percent rise in drug and alcohol crimes in California's
public schools last year.

Some of the increases are due to better reporting by schools in a year when
the Columbine High School massacre and other attacks focused public
attention on school violence, state officials said. But they are still
concerned.

"Our children need to be able to learn without distraction, harassment or
intimidation," said state school Superintendent Delaine Eastin.

The California Safe Schools Assessment, being released today by Eastin's
state Department of Education, lists crimes reported by the state's nearly
1,000 school districts for the 1998-1999 school year.

The overall statewide rate for violent crimes increased from 3.74 incidents
per 1,000 students in 1997-1998 to 4.02 in 1998-1999.

The actual numbers, however, remain small in a school system with 5.8
million students. Eastin stressed that "our schools continue to be safe
havens for the vast majority of our students."

The rate for all drug and alcohol offenses increased from 3.55 incidents
per 1,000 students in 1997-1998 to 3.94 in 1998-1999.

Eastin said the increases in violent crimes and drug and alcohol offenses
mostly reflect improved reporting by schools and security during the last
year.

The Columbine shootings prompted California lawmakers and Gov. Gray Davis
to provide $101 million in grants to high schools to improve school safety.

A school shooting in Michigan Tuesday - where a 6-year-old girl was killed
allegedly by a 6-year-old male classmat - caused one lawmaker to urge
expanding the California safety grants to elementary schools.