Pubdate: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 Source: Capital Times, The (WI) Copyright: 2004 The Capital Times Contact: http://www.captimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/73 Author: Lee Sensenbrenner Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) SCHOOL EXPULSION RATE RISES 49 Kicked Out In 2003-2004 The Madison school district expelled 49 students in the 2003-2004 school year, the highest number of expulsions in at least a decade, for offenses that ranged from sexual assault to wielding a pencil as a weapon. The most common offenses were drug-related. According to numbers released by the district today, 13 students were expelled for being involved in a drug deal. Another five were expelled for possessing a drug or controlled substance "with the intent to deliver." Physical attacks and weapons offenses accounted for most of the remaining expulsions. The district listed seven cases in which a student attacked another student and five cases in which a student attacked a staff member. The district listed 13 expulsions for possessing a weapon or threatening to use a weapon. These students most often armed themselves with a knife, but one student was listed as having a knife and a hammer. Other weapons included a BB gun, a belt, brass knuckles, a broom handle and a pencil. One expulsion was due to "a serious sexual assault" and another came from making a bomb threat. Three students were kicked out for repeatedly disobeying school rules. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek