'Violence-free' PG schools thrive

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

Prince George's County officials yesterday hailed the success of the Violence-Free Zone school program, which they say has helped curb classroom disturbances and improve student performance at two high schools.

The county's first "violence-free zone" was established last year at Bladensburg High School; the second was set up this year at Largo High School in Upper Marlboro. About 2,000 students were enrolled at each school as of September.

"Since that time, we have seen a decrease in unruly behavior, conflicts and suspensions in those schools, and we are extremely pleased by the return to a safe and orderly learning environment," said Beatrice P. Tignor, chairwoman of the county school board, during a meeting at the newly renovated Bladensburg High School.

Prince George's County Council member Samuel H. Dean noted that "within a semester, things began to change in Bladensburg High."

"This is an outstanding start," said county State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey. "I want to lend my full support behind it."

The nonprofit National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise created the Violence-Free Zone program in 1997 to enable cooperation between schools and communities in reducing gang activity.

The program employs and trains ex-offenders and young residents as youth advisers to counsel young adults and at-risk teenagers in their neighborhoods and schools.

With additional training, the counselors become hall monitors and mentors at schools and in after-school programs.

Robert L. Woodson Sr., founder of the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, yesterday said the program has been used in neighborhoods across the country.

"We learned from the bottom up," Mr. Woodson said, adding that youths are influenced most easily by other youths rather than by authoritative adults.

A "violence-free zone" program was begun in 2003 at H.D. Woodson Senior High School in the District.

Statistics show that violent incidents there declined the first year by 60 percent, officials said. Absenteeism, or when a student does not attend school, fell by 16 percent; truancy, or when a student is absent from school more than 10 times in a grading period, fell by 78 percent; and suspensions fell by 47 percent.

At Largo High School, "auto thefts are already down," Mr. Ivey said.

The program costs about $300,000 per school each school year, said Heather Humphries of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise.

So far this school year, youth advisers at Bladensburg and Largo high schools have broken up four fights and participated in conflict intervention more than 100 times, officials said.

"We appreciate the unique work of the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, which brings communities together around the common goal of providing a safe learning environment for all students," said John E. Deasy, chief executive officer of the Prince George's public-school system.