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Digest of Education Statistics
2008 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 159. Percentage of schools with various security measures, by school control and selected characteristics: 2003–04
School control and selected characteristic Total schools Percent of schools with security measures
Number Percentage distribution Controlled access to school buildings1  Controlled access to school grounds2  School uniforms Strict dress code Daily metal detector checks3  Random metal detector checks Closed lunch4  Random sweeps for contraband Daily pre- sence of police or security Video surveillance Violence prevention program
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Public total 87,600 (310) 100.0 (†) 81.5 (0.60) 39.4 (0.83) 13.5 (0.53) 49.3 (0.70) 2.0 (0.21) 5.7 (0.32) 88.0 (0.50) 12.8 (0.48) 24.8 (0.59) 32.5 (0.68) 66.3 (0.73)
School enrollment                                                    
Under 300 25,400 (680) 29.0 (0.77) 74.9 (1.43) 33.3 (1.60) 11.9 (1.02) 44.6 (1.61) 4.1 (0.69) 7.1 (0.89) 83.2 (1.22) 17.6 (1.44) 12.6 (1.29) 25.7 (1.56) 62.6 (1.62)
300 to 499 24,800 (640) 28.4 (0.71) 84.4 (1.04) 36.0 (1.38) 12.3 (1.02) 45.4 (1.38) 0.5 (0.19) 2.8 (0.41) 88.4 (0.95) 8.1 (0.69) 13.4 (0.91) 30.5 (1.34) 66.9 (1.37)
500 to 999 28,200 (560) 32.2 (0.64) 84.7 (0.94) 43.7 (1.31) 15.6 (0.95) 54.4 (1.35) 1.2 (0.18) 4.7 (0.48) 91.9 (0.76) 10.2 (0.61) 29.0 (1.21) 32.8 (1.23) 67.9 (1.32)
1,000 to 1,499 5,500 (260) 6.3 (0.30) 84.9 (1.63) 50.6 (2.91) 18.8 (2.63) 59.4 (2.52) 2.4 (0.58) 12.2 (1.51) 90.6 (1.21) 20.0 (1.50) 67.7 (2.36) 52.2 (2.59) 68.2 (2.02)
1,500 or more 3,600 (210) 4.1 (0.24) 77.9 (2.09) 55.6 (2.64) 8.6 (1.66) 55.6 (2.40) 3.4 (0.61) 14.5 (1.57) 83.7 (2.01) 21.7 (1.88) 90.4 (1.83) 61.5 (2.77) 73.7 (2.09)
                                                     
Percent of students approved for free or
  reduced-price school lunch
                                                   
Does not participate 3,500 (290) 4.0 (0.33) 69.3 (3.21) 42.1 (3.57) 14.8 (2.59) 41.7 (3.25) 3.1 (0.84) 10.0 (2.22) 64.2 (3.82) 23.1 (2.70) 28.3 (3.39) 37.0 (3.88) 61.5 (3.36)
Less than 15 15,000 (480) 17.1 (0.54) 85.3 (1.42) 31.4 (1.78) 3.1 (0.63) 37.7 (1.76) (†) 1.3 (0.27) 85.9 (1.33) 8.9 (0.99) 21.2 (1.31) 32.8 (1.67) 62.8 (2.24)
15 to 29 14,900 (510) 17.0 (0.58) 84.3 (1.28) 37.5 (1.43) 5.0 (0.80) 45.1 (1.86) 0.7 (0.19) 3.1 (0.54) 86.3 (1.29) 10.5 (0.92) 23.8 (1.34) 33.1 (1.59) 61.8 (1.60)
30 to 49 21,600 (590) 24.6 (0.67) 78.8 (1.22) 34.1 (1.53) 7.1 (0.77) 49.9 (1.57) 1.6 (0.37) 4.3 (0.48) 87.7 (1.12) 12.6 (0.64) 23.6 (1.07) 31.2 (1.35) 66.0 (1.54)
50 to 74 17,700 (510) 20.2 (0.58) 81.6 (1.51) 41.9 (1.97) 16.4 (1.36) 53.0 (1.58) 1.9 (0.30) 7.1 (0.79) 91.5 (0.83) 13.1 (1.06) 24.5 (1.59) 32.9 (1.42) 69.3 (1.77)
75 to 100 15,000 (570) 17.1 (0.64) 81.7 (1.58) 53.5 (2.13) 37.8 (1.93) 61.9 (1.96) 5.7 (1.01) 12.4 (1.27) 93.5 (1.06) 16.8 (1.68) 30.3 (1.88) 31.9 (2.03) 72.5 (1.85)
                                                     
Location of school                                                    
City 22,700 (420) 25.9 (0.49) 84.9 (1.16) 49.0 (1.64) 29.3 (1.48) 56.2 (1.63) 4.8 (0.68) 11.4 (0.83) 91.0 (0.80) 14.4 (0.85) 36.5 (1.09) 34.0 (1.24) 70.4 (1.35)
Suburban 25,600 (510) 29.2 (0.56) 86.4 (0.91) 40.1 (1.55) 11.0 (1.03) 44.2 (1.36) 1.1 (0.25) 3.6 (0.48) 88.0 (0.92) 6.1 (0.49) 26.2 (1.13) 34.7 (1.43) 67.7 (1.60)
Town 13,700 (420) 15.6 (0.48) 79.2 (1.51) 33.3 (1.94) 7.4 (0.96) 49.7 (1.84) 1.0 (0.30) 4.8 (0.73) 83.7 (1.62) 13.8 (1.25) 20.2 (1.39) 31.5 (1.67) 64.9 (2.03)
Rural 25,600 (490) 29.3 (0.55) 74.9 (1.28) 33.6 (1.43) 5.3 (0.82) 48.2 (1.55) 1.0 (0.20) 3.4 (0.36) 87.5 (0.88) 17.6 (1.08) 15.3 (0.81) 29.5 (1.34) 62.1 (1.36)
                                                     
Level5                                                     
Elementary 61,500 (360) 70.2 (0.32) 84.7 (0.65) 39.0 (1.03) 14.7 (0.67) 45.2 (0.94) 0.8 (0.23) 3.4 (0.33) 91.2 (0.62) 5.6 (0.44) 15.5 (0.62) 26.3 (0.77) 68.4 (1.00)
Secondary 19,700 (270) 22.5 (0.32) 75.0 (1.33) 41.4 (1.38) 8.8 (1.11) 59.7 (1.33) 3.7 (0.38) 10.2 (0.64) 80.4 (1.04) 28.2 (1.33) 53.9 (1.61) 51.1 (1.55) 61.3 (1.20)
Combined 6,400 (260) 7.4 (0.30) 70.9 (1.89) 37.2 (2.37) 16.1 (1.40) 57.2 (2.08) 8.8 (1.22) 14.8 (1.72) 80.7 (1.76) 35.0 (2.10) 24.4 (1.83) 34.7 (2.14) 62.3 (2.01)
Private total 27,700 (680) 100.0 (†) 73.5 (1.02) 40.2 (1.08) 55.5 (1.06) 73.7 (1.00) 0.8 (0.21) 0.7 (0.20) 88.4 (0.82) 7.7 (0.61) 5.9 (0.50) 19.4 (0.79) 39.0 (1.07)
                                                     
School enrollment                                                    
Under 300 22,500 (650) 81.3 (0.67) 72.2 (1.25) 40.3 (1.22) 52.4 (1.22) 71.2 (1.16) 1.0 (0.25) 0.9 (0.24) 88.2 (0.98) 8.0 (0.70) 4.0 (0.55) 15.6 (0.88) 37.4 (1.32)
300 to 499 3,100 (140) 11.3 (0.60) 81.1 (1.95) 39.8 (2.56) 69.3 (2.34) 84.2 (1.92) (†) (†) 90.6 (1.63) 5.7 (1.81) 5.5 (1.11) 32.1 (2.44) 48.0 (2.72)
500 to 999 1,800 (120) 6.3 (0.39) 77.8 (3.09) 37.8 (3.30) 71.5 (3.16) 87.2 (2.23) (†) (†) 88.3 (2.30) 5.9 (1.44) 22.1 (2.85) 41.3 (3.08) 42.2 (3.23)
1,000 or more 300 (40) 1.1 (0.15) 64.4 (6.81) 50.2 (8.14) 50.1 (6.61) 76.2 (5.48) (†) (†) 89.2 (4.06) 16.9 (5.88) 53.2 (7.00) 48.6 (6.59) 48.0 (5.97)
                                                     
Percent of students approved for free or reduced-
  price school lunch
                                                   
Does not participate 21,100 (570) 76.3 (0.81) 70.3 (1.33) 39.7 (1.21) 51.9 (1.28) 71.5 (1.15) 0.8 (0.26) 0.4 (0.18) 87.4 (0.98) 7.7 (0.68) 6.4 (0.63) 17.8 (0.95) 36.0 (1.23)
Less than 15 3,500 (180) 12.8 (0.61) 85.1 (2.18) 33.7 (2.92) 68.0 (2.72) 84.1 (2.19) (†) (†) 91.4 (2.22) 4.1 (1.03) 2.6 (0.87) 23.8 (2.07) 51.8 (3.29)
15 to 29 1,200 (130) 4.3 (0.46) 76.9 (4.48) 41.7 (5.12) 66.5 (4.84) 76.6 (4.77) (†) (†) 96.8 (1.69) 4.7 (2.32) (†) 19.4 (4.12) 41.8 (4.90)
30 or more 1,800 (180) 6.5 (0.58) 86.1 (2.46) 57.1 (4.09) 65.7 (3.56) 76.5 (3.26) 3.1 (1.84) 5.5 (2.19) 89.7 (2.51) 16.8 (3.77) 9.3 (2.60) 29.1 (3.31) 48.0 (3.91)
                                                     
Level5                                                     
Elementary 16,700 (330) 60.5 (1.07) 79.5 (1.19) 44.9 (1.32) 60.6 (1.27) 74.1 (1.32) 0.3 (0.17) (†) 90.3 (0.94) 2.4 (0.52) 3.1 (0.50) 19.9 (0.97) 39.2 (1.34)
Secondary 2,500 (360) 9.1 (1.14) 62.9 (3.65) 32.2 (3.80) 44.9 (3.53) 70.0 (3.78) 3.1 (1.87) 2.1 (1.16) 73.4 (3.80) 23.3 (3.75) 16.2 (2.99) 24.4 (3.11) 44.3 (4.00)
Combined 8,400 (280) 30.4 (0.77) 64.8 (2.11) 33.2 (1.96) 48.4 (2.00) 74.0 (1.66) 1.2 (0.49) 1.7 (0.56) 89.3 (1.34) 13.5 (1.33) 8.3 (1.15) 16.9 (1.60) 37.1 (2.05)
† Not applicable.
‡ Reporting standards not met.
1 Access to buildings is controlled during school hours (e.g., by locked or monitored doors).
2 Access to grounds is controlled during school hours (e.g., by locked or monitored gates).
3 All students must pass through a metal detector each day.
4 All or most students are required to stay on school grounds during lunch.
5 Elementary schools have grade 6 or below, with no grade higher than 8; secondary schools have no grade lower than 7; and combined schools have grades lower than 7 and higher than 8.
NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard errors appear in parentheses.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public School Principal Questionnaire" and "Private School Principal Questionnaire," 2003–04. (This table was prepared July 2006.)

2008 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest