We applaud the proactive approach by the Butler Area School District’s board of education to combat the rise in violence and bullying in its schools.

At a meeting Monday night, the board spent more than an hour discussing a potential policy to address issues of “reasonable self-defense,” which would ensure a student would not be punished for retaliating if physically attacked.

Such a policy was suggested at the board’s Nov. 21 meeting by a parent of a student in the district following recent complaints from parents about behavioral problems in the classroom.

This fall, Superintendent Brian White sent letters to families of students in the district regarding the increasing number of behavioral problems. The district stressed that only 261 of the high school’s 2,003 students have had disciplinary referrals this school year.

But it’s not just in Butler. School districts across the nation are reporting an alarming increase in violence in their buildings.

A nationwide survey of 846 public schools released in July by the National Center for Education Statistics showed that during the 2021-22 school year, 46% of schools saw a rise in fighting and threats, and 56% of schools reported frequent disruptions due to student misconduct when compared to the previous year.

Granted, that was at the peak of the pandemic, when in-school learning was almost nonexistent, but the numbers had been increasing annually before that.

The center also found that during the 2019–20 academic year, 77% of the nation’s public schools reported one or more incidents of crime, amounting to 1.4 million incidents. And those numbers — the latest available — are two years old and include only reported crimes.

No action was taken Monday on the “reasonable self-defense” policy, but the board will continue discussion of the policy at a future meeting.

The board is implementing other policies to keep discipline in check.

In November, the district launched an after-school intervention program to prevent students with numerous offenses from hurting other students. Students referred to the program by the board are separated from the student population and attend classes only from 3 to 5 p.m. They remain in the program for an extended period of time.

The Butler Area School District is wise to act quickly and decisively to address behavioral issues in schools and make them safe places where our children can prepare for their future.

— JGG