The number of students caught with guns at school has gone up, new U.S. Department of Education figures show.
According to the latest report on the Gun-Free Schools Act, a 10 percent increase occurred in the number of guns found on students from the 2008-09 to the 2010-11 school year. The federal law requires students who bring firearms to school to be expelled for at least a year.
The number of guns on campus had been dropping since the 2005-06 school year. The Education Department hasn’t released data about guns in school for more than 2½ years and quietly posted the latest figures on its website in April. The report doesn’t offer any explanations for the rising rates.
During the 2010-11 school year, 2,761 students were caught with guns at school.
