Survey Reveals Charlotte Schools Where Students Do Not Feel Safe

Hours after a high school freshman was arrested for taking a loaded gun to Independence High School, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools released a new study showing students at Independence don't feel as safe as other students in the district.

The gun found Tuesday is the third discovered at Independence in the last two years.

•RELATED VIDEO: Student Brings Loaded Gun To Independence High School

CMS released a progress report Tuesday morning which includes data on 'Safe and Orderly Schools.'

Students and teachers were given a questionnaire last school year about how safe they feel in their school.

It shows one of out five students at Independence didn't feel their school was safe.

Independence isn't dead last on the list but it's close.

J.M. Alexander Middle School had the biggest percentage of students who didn't feel safe, with 24.2%.

At North Mecklenburg High School it's 23.8% and at Independence it's 21.7%.

Teachers' answers were a bit different, a bit higher, and maybe more surprising. An elementary school landed among the four where teachers feel the least safe.

Wilson Middle School (42%), James Martin Middle School (38%), West Mecklenburg High School (36%), and First Ward Elementary School (35%) had a significant percentage of teachers who didn't think their school was safe.

School board chairperson Molly Griffin said perception isn't always reality. Griffin said the numbers can often reflect what happened the week the survey was taken and not necessarily reflect the entire school year.

It wasn't all bad news. About 30 elementary schools had less than five percent of their students and teachers who felt unsafe.

Progress reports are conducted every school year and results are released in the fall.