Chalkbeat's journalism is made possible by our sponsors.
Interested in becoming one? Reach out here.

Hello! It’s Rebecca with Chalkbeat Philly.

Fights in Philly schools are on the decline. The School District of Philadelphia’s safety chief is determined to keep it that way.

The number of weapons confiscated from Philadelphia district students dropped about 67% between the 2021-22 and the 2024-25 school year, according to district data. The total number of student assaults and fights dipped 22% districtwide from 2021 to 2025.

Read our Q&A with Chief of Safety Craig Johnson to learn more.

Plus some sports news ICYMI: Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts’ foundation is donating $600,000 to get air conditioning in Northeast High School’s auditorium by the 2027-28 school year. For students and educators standing in the sweltering auditorium during the announcement Tuesday, that A/C can’t come soon enough.

As always, you can reach us at [email protected].

Local education coverage is disappearing. Chalkbeat helps families and educators understand what’s changing. We can’t do it without you.

Support Chalkbeat Philadelphia

Local News

Fights and weapons confiscations are down in Philly schools. The safety chief aims to continue the trend.

Students are bringing fewer weapons to school, but fights and violence remain a reality. The Philadelphia School District safety chief talks about how he hopes to keep incidents down.