How safe is your child’s school? View latest NC crime and suspension numbers.
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- State reports a 6.1% drop in school crime statewide between 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- Short-term student suspensions fell 8.6% statewide last school year.
- Despite recent declines, crimes and suspensions remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.
The latest crime and student suspension figures are now out for every North Carolina public school.
Data released by the State Board of Education showed a 6.1% decrease in acts of school crime and violence between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years. There was also an 8.6% decrease in the number of short-term suspensions during that time period.
School crime and suspensions remain above pre-pandemic levels from the 2018-19 school year. But state education officials say the trends over the last two years are showing improvement.
School crime up 20% in Wake
Wake County saw 1,527 reported in-school crimes — a 20% increase from the prior school year.
Much of the increase was fueled by a 47% increase in cases of a possession of a controlled substance. These drug cases accounted for 55% of the district’s total crimes.
Assault on school personnel was the second-most reported crime at 295 cases — a 45% increase from the prior year. But Wake also saw a 25% decrease in reports of possession of a weapon.
Short-term suspensions rose 4.2% to 13,304 for the district.
Other Triangle districts
Elsewhere in the Triangle:
- Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools saw a 41% increase in school crime and a 5% decrease in short-term suspensions.
- Chatham County School saw a 45% decrease in school crime and an 11% decrease in short-term suspensions.
- Durham Public Schools saw a 28% decrease in school crime and a 16% decrease in short-term suspensions.
- Johnston County Schools saw a 132% increase in school crime and a 17% decrease in short-term suspensions.
- Orange County Schools saw a 49% decrease in school crime and a 2% increase in short-term suspensions.
Most of Johnston County’s increase in crimes was due to jumps in possession of controlled substances and possession of weapons.
How did my child’s school do? Look in this searchable database
Use the searchable databases below to look up the 2024-25 school crime and suspension stats for individual North Carolina public schools.
Go to http://tinyurl.com/36auuyjb to view school crime and discipline reports dating back to the 2007-08 school year.
This story was originally published February 4, 2026 at 3:08 PM.
