Crime down in Macon schools, but parents say student safety is still a concern

Crime in Bibb County schools is trending the right direction, data show. But parents are worried about issues that persist, including vape use.

Non-felony drug offenses, felony weapons charges and felony drug possession were the most frequently reported crimes under the federal Unsafe School Choice Option in the Bibb County School District over the past seven years, according to district and state data obtained by The Telegraph.

Offenses were more frequent in middle and high schools. While data reveal a reduction in campus crimes over the past year and show no alarming trends, parents in Macon still harbor worries about student safety. While vaping is not part of USCO offenses, according to state officials, it’s becoming a bigger concern in Macon schools.

“To my understanding, the children are even vaping at the schools,” said Macon native Thi’Shilyn Burke, whose grandchild told her that students often vape in classrooms and restrooms. “It’s a big issue, and whether the school board knows it or not, they do have drugs in their schools.”

Under USCO guidelines, non-felony drug possession is the most commonly reported crime in the district. A non-felony drug incident is the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana, according to state law.

While the Georgia Department of Education does not classify possession of a vape or THC oil as a USCO offense, Bibb County School District Assistant Superintendent of Student Affairs Jamie Cassady said vaping has become a growing problem in the district and across the state over the past decade.

“There’s an infatuation with vaping for the students at our high school levels,” Cassady said. “There’s still a lot of that going on in our schools much more than I’d like. I’m not sure why it’s a thing, but it is.”

Felony drug offenses, on the other hand, include possession of more than an ounce of marijuana or harder drugs such as cocaine, Cassady said.

Cassady said the district rarely deals with felony-level drugs — a point supported by the data — but noted that students occasionally bring in amounts of felony drugs that could indicate an intent to sell.

Burke said she believes school safety in the district has worsened for students because of drug issues, as well as bullying and harassment that students often try to hide.

“I know there are a lot of things happening that the kids won’t talk about due to fear, but these are safety concerns to speak up about,” she said, hinting that some cases may be underreported. “They may feel like they’re snitching or that no one really cares, so any threat to their lives must be addressed.”

What is USCO?

Under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, USCO is a provision that allows students who were victims of a violent incident at school, or who attend designated “persistently dangerous” schools, to transfer to a safe public school in their district.

States can set their own rules.

In Georgia, a public school is defined as unsafe if:

• One student is found by school tribunal hearings to have committed a violent crime on a school campus, at an event within jurisdiction of a public school or at a school-sponsored event for three consecutive years to have committed: aggravated battery, aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, armed robbery, first degree arson, kidnapping, murder, rape and manslaughter;
• At least 2% percent of the student population, or 10 students, whichever is greater, are found by official action to have committed an offense in violation of a school rule that involved one or more of the following offenses: non-felony drugs, felony drugs, felony weapons and terroristic threats
• Any combination of the above

Bibb County schools have reported dozens of USCO-qualifying incidents over the years, but the district has not approached the threshold for a “persistently dangerous” designation in the past decade, Cassady said.

While Bibb County’s numbers are lower than those of some other large public school systems, “there is not a specific benchmark for a ‘high’ or ‘low’ number of USCO incidents,” said Georgia Department of Education spokesperson Meghan Frick.

As of publication, only two Georgia schools, Long Middle School in Atlanta and Murphey Middle School in Richmond County, were ever identified as persistently dangerous, according to Frick.

Both designations were made during the 2004-2005 school year.

Where do USCO offenses occur most?

Cassady said drug offenses are more of a problem than weapon offenses on campuses in the district — another point supported by state data. Recent data, however, does show that felony weapon violations slightly rose in 2024 compared to the past four years.

Data indicates drug and weapon offenses happen most at the district’s middle and high schools.

Howard High School had the most non-felony drug possession incidents, with 38 reports over seven years. Westside High School reported the highest number of felony weapon incidents, totaling 17.

Parents say drop in campus crimes is not enough

USCO violations in Bibb County Schools have dropped from 69 in 2017 to 36 in 2024.

Cassady credited restorative practices — including the district’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports program, which aims to reduce disciplinary incidents and improve school safety — as well as the Leader in Me program, which focuses on building students’ leadership skills and character, as contributing factors to the positive trend.

“We’re doing a lot to improve school culture and climate,” Cassady said. “We’ve also been fortunate to have the mental health grant, which has been very beneficial to both our students and our data.”

Cassady also noted that student misbehavior — including in-school and out-of-school suspensions — declined districtwide in 2024, with incivility, fighting and disorderly conduct ranking as top three offenses. He said overall referrals are down, but problems tied to conflict resolution persist among students.

Student discipline concerning tobacco, drugs and alcohol incidents ranked No. 6 for the district.

Still, non-felony drug possession, felony drugs and felony weapon offenses remain the majority of serious USCO violations in Bibb County, raising questions about their root causes and the schools’ response among parents.

School officials previously announced plans to upgrade security systems on every campus through voter-approved ESPLOST funds.

“Safety is our number one priority,” Cassady said.

While measures have been implemented, and more are in the works, Macon parents emphasize the need for better communication from schools and more proactive measures to improve learning environments.

“A lot of times you won’t find out about any dangerous incidents until a day later,” Burke said. “Issues will surface on social media before the school contacts you, or before it hits the news, and that is also a safety issue.”

Burke also raised concerns about a new state law restricting student cell phone use in public schools, arguing that transparency and communication may worsen without improved reporting by the district.

But to also prevent safety threats, Burke said parents could do more.

“I used to check my children’s bookbags daily,” she said. “As a parent, you should know if your child has taken something that they should not have and put it in his or her bag.”

Macon native Maleah Bryant, 24, raised concerns about unsafe conditions in Bibb County schools and the community, prompting a move to a safer area for her 1-year-old son.

“There’s a lot of violence among youth here, like robberies or petty fights and drug use at football games,” Bryant said. “They’re having access to these guns that they really shouldn’t have access to, and it’s unsafe.”

Despite a decrease in reported crimes for the district, Bryant said she is not seeing meaningful change and believes the community must address root causes such as a lack of adult supervision at home to improve school safety.

“It starts at home. We need to train this new generation to promote positive youth development and prevent violent behavior,” Bryant said. “That starts with basic human kindness, self-control and discipline. Those are things that we’re kind of lacking in our community.”