High school safety reviewed, officials install phone tipline

By Jason Baker

Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint High School District trustees on Aug. 3 reviewed a semi-annual report of incidents that took place on campus from Jan. 1 to June 30, 1999, and found that incidents are down from last year.

Since 1995, California has been collecting data on several categories of school crime throughout the state. Assistant principles and their secretaries complete the monthly reports and receive periodic updates and communications from California Safe Schools Assessment. The monthly reports are compiled every six months and sent to the Butte County Office of Education for annual statewide statistical aggregation.

Ten of the district's 30 reportable incidents involved alcohol or drug use on campus, with battery the next most frequent category of reportable crime.

Also reflected in the report was the incident, reported in April, of a 14-year-old freshman bringing a gun onto the Los Gatos High School campus. The incident came to light on April 26 after a parent told a Los Gatos-Monte Sereno 911 dispatcher that her daughter had heard from a student that the boy had brought a gun to school. The boy admitted the offense in April and was expelled on June 15. The student may request readmission to the district after completing a one-year rehabilitation plan, which includes counseling, academic work and maintaining good behavior under educational supervision.

According to state law, an expulsion can last no more than one year. Officials did not release the name of the student.

Also on Aug. 3, superintendent Cynthia Ranii announced the implementation of a Safe Schools Tipline, to be launched districtwide at the beginning of the school year. Ranii said district officials had reviewed extensive U.S. Department of Education reports regarding the systems, and have found that a tipline might serve to help officials stay abreast of certain types of on-campus incidents.

The tipline differs from a traditional hotline in several ways. Hotlines refer to community-based services, require staff to answer the phones and primarily handle cases of suicide threats, child-abuse reports and the like.

Tiplines allow anonymous reporting, do not require staff to answer calls and are for reporting, not requesting, emergency assistance. National statistics show tiplines file about two to four calls per month on average.

Ranii said Craig Heimbichner, the district's assistant principal of school safety and alternative programs, would be in charge of reviewing messages from the tipline and would then contact the appropriate district officials. Officials feel the system will be another tool in the task of recognizing and communicating with at-risk youth.

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The districts Safe Schools Tipline can be reached at (877) 32B-SAFE.

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