[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000-2001, Book III)]
[October 26, 2000]
[Page 2331]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on the 2000 Annual Report on School Safety
October 26, 2000

    I am pleased that the 2000 Annual Report on School Safety released 
today by the Departments of Justice and Education shows that crime and 
violence in our Nation's schools continue to decline. Since 1992, rates 
of serious crime, including violent crime, have declined steadily in our 
schools, and the number of non-fatal crimes in schools is down by more 
than 21 percent. Between 1992 and 1997, the number of students who 
report carrying a weapon to school decreased by 25 percent. School 
homicides, which remain extremely rare, are also on the decline. This 
report provides encouraging data that our efforts to protect our 
children are having an impact.
    Since Vice President Gore and I took office, we have encouraged 
communities to come together to ensure that our schools are safe places 
for learning. By making school safety a top priority, our administration 
has helped provide more and better trained police officers in schools, 
vastly increased funding for after-school programs, required zero 
tolerance for guns in schools, and funded more mentors and school 
counselors to help our kids stay on the right track.
    We owe it to our children to make sure that crime in school 
continues to decline. We can continue our progress by supporting 
comprehensive, locally based efforts such as the Safe Schools/Healthy 
Students Initiative. Across the Nation, 77 communities have received 
$147 million under this innovative program to fund enhanced educational, 
mental health, and law enforcement services. Programs such as this one 
allow us to promote the healthy development of our students and to 
identify those children who may be having problems and get them the help 
they need to turn things around. By working together, we can continue 
our success in making America's schools safe for each and every student 
in our Nation.