WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	City wants money to deal with school bullies (Bristol-WTNH) _ With anxiety over school violence at a high point, the city of Bristol is asking the federal government for a "bully grant" worth $108,000 for Bristol Central High School. Funding from the bully grant would include $22,400 in overtime, $4,600 to send four staffers to a conference, $4,400 for two desktop computers and $14,000 for four laptop computers. But is the money really necessary? News Channel 8's Ned Berkowitz reports. Students at Bristol Central say there are about as many bullies here as there are murderers at DisneyWorld, and they can't imagine spending $108,000 to study the issue. Nicole LaFrance, Senior: "I think it's gonna be a waste of time. I really do. I haven't had any problems with anybody." Ned: "How do you think they can justify spending more than $100,000 to study a problem that doesn't exist?" Kreg Kelley, Junior: "I think that would be kind of interesting 'cause I don't know how they would spend it, because there's nothing to spend it on because there's no bullies to worry about." Well, almost none. A recent survey found one percent of Bristol 11th graders have stayed away from school because they didn't feel safe. Ann Clark, Bristol Superintendent: "We want to be really pro-active. We want all our students to feel very secure when they're in school." When applying for the grant, police had to list one area of concern at one school, but say they're not really worried. John DiVenere, Bristol Police Chief: "There was no problem with Central that's different from any other problem in any other school, state or any problem in the country." The grant is for one year, and police or the school district would get to keep the computers and additional equipment once the year is over. District officials hope to hear if the grant application is successful by July 1st. Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

City wants money to deal with school bullies
(Bristol-WTNH) _ With anxiety over school violence at a high point, the city of Bristol is asking the federal government for a "bully grant" worth $108,000 for Bristol Central High School. Funding from the bully grant would include $22,400 in overtime, $4,600 to send four staffers to a conference, $4,400 for two desktop computers and $14,000 for four laptop computers. But is the money really necessary?
News Channel 8's Ned Berkowitz reports.

Students at Bristol Central say there are about as many bullies here as there are murderers at DisneyWorld, and they can't imagine spending $108,000 to study the issue.

Nicole LaFrance, Senior: "I think it's gonna be a waste of time. I really do. I haven't had any problems with anybody."

Ned: "How do you think they can justify spending more than $100,000 to study a problem that doesn't exist?"
Kreg Kelley, Junior: "I think that would be kind of interesting 'cause I don't know how they would spend it, because there's nothing to spend it on because there's no bullies to worry about."

Well, almost none. A recent survey found one percent of Bristol 11th graders have stayed away from school because they didn't feel safe.

Ann Clark, Bristol Superintendent: "We want to be really pro-active. We want all our students to feel very secure when they're in school."

When applying for the grant, police had to list one area of concern at one school, but say they're not really worried.

John DiVenere, Bristol Police Chief: "There was no problem with Central that's different from any other problem in any other school, state or any problem in the country."

The grant is for one year, and police or the school district would get to keep the computers and additional equipment once the year is over. District officials hope to hear if the grant application is successful by July 1st.

Today's News Page.

WTNH Home Page.