Report Shows Rise in Oxnard School Expulsions

Oxnard elementary school officials expelled 22 students last year for weapons, drugs and behavioral problems, according to a report presented to the school board.

The number represents a sharp and disconcerting increase in problems at Oxnard’s 14 schools, said Assistant Supt. Bernard Korenstein. More students were expelled last year than in the past five years combined.

Korenstein said that while the number represents only a tiny fraction of the 12,700 students enrolled last year, the increase is substantial.

“It’s the sign of the times,” said Mary Barreto, president of the board of the Oxnard School District. “I don’t care if the figure was an aberration or not. The district needs to acknowledge that there’s a problem and work to find solutions.”

The bulk of the 22 students were expelled because they brought knives to school. But none of the students expelled had used them in a threatening manner.

“Our concern is that when a child brings a weapon to school, there is a chance there will be some sort of accident,” Korenstein said. “That’s why we cannot tolerate it when they bring a knife to show their friends.”

Korenstein said the school district was preparing a written “no-tolerance” policy so it could reiterate to parents and students that weapons do not belong on campus.

“The safety of the students has to be paramount in our minds and our actions,” he said.