BIE Schools Unprepared for Violence, Report Says

School violence is on the rise nationwide, and campuses in Indian Country are not immune to this trend. In fact, they could be more of a breeding ground for violent activity than mainstream public schools.

A new evaluation report published by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Inspector General found that the nation’s Bureau of Indian Education schools have many indicators of potential violence, deficiencies in school policies to prevent violence and substantial deficiencies in preventative and emergency safety procedures.

Indian Country in general, as the report stresses, has a violent crime rate that is two to three times higher than the national average. This statistic alone should keep the red flag raised, but there is more.

The report states that 37 percent of BIE students have reported carrying a weapon on campus, compared to 6 percent of public school students. And 75 percent of gang members in Indian Country are school age.

Making BIE schools more prone to violence is the lack of security measures. Around 80 percent lack adequate fencing, and only just about half have a security guard. While most have video surveillance systems, the report says the equipment is often flawed.

Further, the report says, many BIE school staff members have not received even basic training in violence prevention, like anger management, bullying prevention and gang awareness.

In the 2007-2008 school year, the year the report is based on, there were 184 BIE schools in 23 states, with about 48,000 students enrolled.

To read the full report, click here.

NCAI Program Brings Wall Street to Tribal Schools

Now may not be the best time to invest in the stock market, but it is an ideal time to learn about it. That’s what some Native American students are doing through the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Tribal Exchange program.

The pilot program, a vessel of the Stock Market Game (SMG), is only available to tribal schools and Native American organizations. It teaches students the basics of critical thinking, decision making, cooperation and communication through stock market investment.

A handful of tribal schools, federal agencies and national organizations are participating in the program. They are divided up into teams, with each team given a hypothetical $100,000 to invest as it chooses.

The program ends on Oct. 10. The top three teams will receive awards at NCAI's 65th Annual Conference and Tradeshow in Phoenix, which runs Oct. 19-24.

Historic Native Charter School Closed for Financial Mismanagement

A school founded 30 years ago to provide a nurturing atmosphere for Native American children is on the verge of collapse because financial oversight is so lacking there the state of Minnesota and the Minneapolis school district have withdrawn support for the school. Without the sponsorship of the school district, the school cannot stay open. The school board's decision to sever ties with Oh Day Aki/Heart of the Earth beginning Sept. 9 comes after a recent state-mandated audit revealed more than $160,000 missing, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The executive director is under investigation. Another story in the Star Tribune, detailed the director’s lavish lifestyle and the fact that his resume included false information about his background and education. About 220 students attended the school.

Here's a question. Doesn’t the school board have to bear some of the blame for this? According to the Star Tribune, the director was writing checks to himself, in contradiction of school policy, which he somehow managed to thwart. And where was the due diligence when he was hired. If the newspaper could find out he’d lied on his resume, why didn’t the school board?

Students and staff endangered in structurally deficient BIA schools

Severe health and safety deficiencies at the Chinle Boarding School in Many Farms, Ariz., endanger the lives of close to 500 students and staff members, according to a report released by the Department of Interior Office of Inspector General.

Severe structural cracks and unstable foundations exerted pressure on natural gas lines, electrical wires and boiler room components. Escaping natural gas or electrical discharges from damaged pipelines or wiring could result in explosions and loss of life, the report said.

The report details the health and safety issues endangering DOI staff at a number of Department of Interior facilities around the country, including 13 elementary and secondary schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Bureau of Indian Education. Deterioration at the schools inspected by the OIG ranged from minor deficiencies like leaking roofs to major deficiencies like structural weaknesses, outdated electrical systems and inadequate fire detection and suppression systems. In fact, the BIE told the OIG that 69 of its 184 elementary and secondary schools and dormitories are in poor condition.

At the Shonto Preparatory School in Shonto, Ariz., inspectors found significant electrical deficiencies that increased the risk of fire and endangered the lives of the 550 students who attend classes there. Inspectors found duct tape placed over a circuit breaker to prevent it from tripping, electrical extension cords routed through brick walls and dangling from ceilings and fire alarm system that didn’t work. The school’s ongoing rodent problem poses a risk for hantavirus.

This latest report restates many of the same structural deficiencies cited last May when the OIG issued a Flash Report, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education: Schools in Need of Immediate Action.

Despite the dire predictions in that report and recommendations for immediate step to mitigate the issues, the BIE FY 2009 school construction budget was cut by about $30.5 million from 2008. Included within this request amount is $115.4 million for Education Construction, a reduction of $27.6 million from the 2008 enacted level. The FY 2009 request fully funds the replacement of the Dennehotso Boarding School, a K-8 on-reservation boarding school in Arizona, and replaces buildings at the Chinle Boarding School. The Education Construction request also includes funding for facilities improvement and repair projects including $50.7 million for annual maintenance. In addition, employee housing is funded at $1.6 million.