Randolph County Schools are reporting more discipline incidents even as enrollment declines and attendance remains below pre-pandemic levels.
District data show that the majority of discipline incidents still fall under the category of “minimally disruptive behaviors”, but that share has decreased over the past three years. In 2021–22, 62% of incidents were considered minimally disruptive. By 2023–24, that number had declined to 57%.
Meanwhile, the proportion of “disruptive and potentially harmful behaviors” rose, from 25% to 29% during the same period. The share of serious incidents, classified as imminently dangerous, illegal, or aggressive, remained steady, fluctuating between 13% and 14%.
Though the numbers have not shifted dramatically, the data suggest a slow but consistent change in the types of behaviors schools are facing.
Attendance data provides some important background information. Rates peaked at 94.8% in 2020–21, before dropping during the first full year after the pandemic to 90.9%. In recent years, attendance has climbed back toward pre-pandemic levels, hovering between 91.3% and 92.3% from 2022 through 2025.
This stability in attendance contrasts with the slight but persistent shifts in behavior data. Because incident rates are often calculated “per 100 students,” even small changes in attendance and enrollment can influence how discipline rates appear. Although overall enrollment has declined and attendance has yet to fully rebound from pre-pandemic levels, the number of disciplinary incidents has not dropped in tandem. In fact, when measured “per 100 students,” rates appear to be climbing, suggesting that even with fewer students in classrooms, schools are contending with proportionally more behavioral challenges. This mismatch between a lower number of enrollments and rising discipline rates raises questions about what is driving the increase and how schools can adapt their support to meet the changing needs of their students.
