Baltimore County Public Schools To Host Virtual Town Hall On School Violence

BALTIMORE COUNTY - Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) has announced that it will hold a virtual town hall on Thursday, October 13, to discuss "safe and supportive environments."

In their announcement message for the town hall, BCPs said, "Parents, staff, students, and members of the community will learn about BCPS' efforts to ensure student and staff safety, available community resources, and opportunities to build positive partnerships for student support."

This town hall comes after weeks of criticism of how BCPS handles violence in its schools, initially sparked by a viral video from Perry Hall High School. Discussions of bullying and violence in schools have been a top priority among parents after recent incidents.

On September 12, A Perry Hall middle school student was disciplined for bringing a toy gun on a bus.

On September 13, A Chesapeake High School student was arrested for having a gun on school grounds.

On September 15, A Randallstown High School student was arrested for having a gun on school grounds.

On September 28, A student was arrested after a confrontation involving a baseball bat at Perry Hall High School.

On October 6, Perry Hall High School briefly went into lockdown as police responded to an assault on campus.

On October 5, a viral video of a brawl at Towson High School circulated on social media.

On October 7, a viral video of a vicious fight at Dulaney High School circulated on social media.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all incidents at Baltimore County Public Schools this school year.

The Baltimore County Public Schools' total budget for the fiscal year 2023 is $2.33 billion. Parents may disagree on how to calm this rash of violence, but the messaging has been clear; parents and students are fed up.

On October 3, students and parents rallied outside Perry Hall High School to protest BCPS's handling of the situation. Protest organizer, Mary A. Taylor, released a statement decrying the violence.

"Safety is an essential prerequisite for teaching and learning. We can't expect to reach any of our educational goals if the safety of students, and the educators who serve them, is not treated as our highest priority."

Thursday's Town Hall meeting is the first time parents will have the opportunity to express their concerns to officials. Families can participate in the meeting via the BCPS website or the BCPS-TV Youtube channel.