State record reveals how often GA students carried weapons to school within past year

WINDER, Ga. — As parents prepare to send students back to Apalachee High School this week, some have expressed security concerns.

Some students and parents would like the district to implement a clear bag policy and install weapon detectors in schools.

The Georgia Board of Education said it does not track how many schools have metal or weapon detectors inside.

In addition to that piece of information, Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco uncovered a state record related to weapons on campus.

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The document shows the number of times staff in each school district disciplined students for bringing weapons to school during the 2023-24 year.

The state breaks the data down by type of weapon involved. The categories include knife, handgun, rifle, another weapon, and other firearm.

Staff in the Barrow County system disciplined students for carrying weapons19 times in the 2023-24 school year.

Each time, the weapon was a knife. No incidents involved guns that year. Officials say 19 is not the lowest number in the state nor the highest.

The Gwinnett County system had the highest number of disciplinary actions involving weapons in the 2023-24 school year.

Administration disciplined students for carrying knives 191 times, and staff disciplined students for bringing guns to school five times.

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Four of those gun-related punishments involved handguns. One involved a rifle. Staff disciplined students carrying other types of weapons to school 204 times.

Two disciplinary cases fell under the other firearm category.

Cobb County documented 145 disciplinary incidents involving knives, nine involving guns, 47 involving other weapons and two involving other firearms.

Fulton County had 144 discipline incidents involving weapons in the 2023-24 school year.

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Staff disciplined students for carrying knives 84 times, handguns 10 times and other weapons 50 times.

The districts with no weapon-related disciplinary actions in the 2023-24 school year include: Baker County, Candler County, Clay County, Cook County, Echols County, Glascock County, Hancock County, Jenkins County, Johnson County, Meriwether County, Miller County, Stewart County, Talbot County, Taliaferro County, Terrell County, Webster County, Wheeler County, Wilcox County, Wilkinson County and Bremen City.

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