We know America’s public schools have seen an increase in violence since students returned after COVID school closures. In a recent study, the Nation Center for Education Statistics found that in school year 2021-2022, 87% of of public schools reported that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected student behavior and socio-emotional development.

How are NJ public schools faring? On par with the national average: According to 101.5, “reported violent incidents climbed to 13,451, or a rate of 10.3 incidents per 1,000 students, an increase of nearly 9% from the most recent comparable year. The police had to be called 2,687 times that school year and students were caught bringing weapons, mostly knives, to school 1,372 times.”

That platform just released a list of the most violent schools based on 2021-2022 Department of Education data.. A note of caution: acts of violence and vandalism are self-reported by districts so the numbers aren’t always reliable. Also, different schools have different polices for when they file police reports as well as different definitions of what constitutes an act of violence and vandalism.

Here are the 20 most violent public schools in New Jersey:

• Hope Community Charter School (Camden): 41 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 28.1
• Highland Park Middle School: 70 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 18.9
• James Cotten Middle School (Willingboro): 101 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 18.3
• Peoples Preparatory Charter School (Newark): 62 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 17.8
• Benjamin Franklin School (Elizabeth): 76 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 16.7
• Helen Fort Middle School (Pemberton): 91 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 14
• Lakeside Middle School (Millville): 145 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 14.8
• Luis Munoz-Rivera Middle School (Trenton): 67 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 13.6
• George Washington Carver Elementary (Newark): 73 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 13.4
• Sgt. Dominick Pilla Middle School (Vineland): 89 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 12.7
• Newcomb Middle School (Pemberton): 33 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 11.4
• William Davies Middle School (Hamilton): 108 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 11.2
• Willingboro High School: 78 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 10.9
• Neptune Middle School: 70 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 10.5
• Prospect Park School: 83 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 10.4
• Richard C. Crockett Middle School (Hamilton): 85 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 10
• Jackson Bolger Middle School (Keansbury): 33 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 9.7
• Atlantic County High School: 10 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 9.5
• Daylight/Twilight High School (Trenton): 50 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 9.5
• Bergen County Special Services (Emotionally-Disturbed): 11 violent incidents; rate per 100 students: 9.2