House. Subcommittee to Investigate School Violence in the Philadelphia Public Schools
biographical statement
House Resolution 303, adopted on October 26, 1999, directed the Subcommittee on Cities and Counties (Urban Affairs Committee) to conduct an investigation into the problems relating to school violence and possession of weapons in the Philadelphia School District. Members of the Subcommittee included John Taylor (chairman), Lita Indzel Cohen, Dennis Leh, Frank Tulli, Jr., David Argall, George Kenney, LeAnna Washington, Alan Butkovitz, Benjamin Ramos, Thomas Petrone, William Keller and Anthony Williams.
House Resolution 303 resolved that the Subcommittee report its findings and recommendations for remedial legislation or other appropriate actions to the House.
The Subcommittee concluded in its Final Report that the Philadelphia School district had failed to comply with two key provisions of Act 26, the Safe Schools Act of 1995. The Subcommittee found that the school district failed to report all weapon related incidents. The failure to comply with Act 26 was based on the belief by the Superintendent and school principals that, they had “discretion” to make the determination as to what constitutes a weapon and whether an incident should be reported to the appropriate authorities. The Subcommittee contended that the Philadelphia School District and its principals were seriously misinterpreting, both the Act itself and the intended spirit of it. The specific recommendations of the Subcommittee can be found in the Final Report, November 2000.