Part One Time bomb in the classroom Problem teen-ager hides in the cracks Lingering problems: After Moses Lake, violence leaves mark In Olympia, lawmakers toe line between violence, rights Numbers don't always add up Part Two Eye on violence: Schools beef up security, find new ways to curb problems Prevention starts in college classroom Blessed are the peacemakers Poll shows public wants solutions Programs show students how to recognize, avoid potential problem areas Part Three A child's death, A mother's pain Alice Fritz describes heartbreak of losing her son to violence Getting connected: Students who get involved early have better chance of doing well Guidelines for getting involved Laws give students protection from action Many give warnings before violence Seeing the signs Credits Resources Numbers don't always add up By Chester Allen The Olympian The state doesn't keep track of how many fights take place at school, and even school districts have difficulty keeping their numbers straight. Sometimes, a district's own numbers don't match what is happening in its schools. For example, the Tacoma School District said there were eight fights in its five high schools between September and December 1998. About 8,400 students are enrolled in the five schools. District spokeswoman Judy Parker said the low number shows a no-tolerance violence policy is working. But Stadium High principal Ethelda Burke said there were between six and 11 fights at her school alone during the same time. Mount Tahoma High principal Thomas Shearer said there have been six fights on his campus since September. Parker insisted her numbers are correct, but the principals said theirs are the more accurate picture of what's happening in the schools. Though the numbers don't match up, school officials agree the district's no-tolerance policy is working, Burke said. No tolerance means any students involved in fights are placed on long-term suspension -meaning students are kicked out of school for the rest of the 60-day trimester, Burke said. Having two full-time security officers and a half-time Tacoma police officer at Stadium also has helped, Burke said. "We used to have a lot more fights," Shearer said. Back to Learning the Hard Way

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