Police, Administrators, Say School Fights Fairly Common

A violent fight at Springdale High School sent a girl to the hospital Friday morning. Three other girls were also checked by doctors as a precaution.

The Springdale incident is an extreme case, but fights are common at Central Arkansas high schools, including the new Maumelle High School.

Elizabeth Caples works near the school and often talks to teachers who tell her about fights on campus.

"I guess the main problem is the children just don't get along very well," Caples said. "You're bringing in children from all different areas, and they're just not getting along very well."

Dr. Jerry Guess, superintendent of the Pulaski County Special School District, admits there's been some friction at the new high school.

"The population grew from 400 to 1000," Guess said. "The change in numbers by itself produces a lot of stress and a lot of friction. There's going to have to some times for kids to get to know each other."

But Guess says fights are a part of high school culture.

"I think there are fights in high schools across the country," Guess said. "I would be surprised if there's any school in Arkansas, or any school in the nation, that doesn't have fights.

Guess has the numbers to back him up. The district keeps detailed records of disciplinary issues, as part of a federal judge's desegregation order, and figures from the 2011-2012 school year put Maumelle High School in the middle of the pack.

Records also show police are called to Central High School and North Little Rock High far more frequently than Maumelle.

Guess says it's likely that, being a new school, Maumelle draws more attention and scrutiny.

"The community may be more involved in that school, and they may be more concerned about it," Guess said. "Because there are fights, they think there are more than in other schools, but there aren't based on the statistics."