Violence hits Oasis school

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Marion police have been summoned to Marion County Special Education Cooperative’s Oasis school three times so far this year.

Two of the calls were Jan. 26, once for a student who threw a chair at a teacher and once for damage in the hallway.

Officer Zach Hudlin worked the call that involved the teacher Jan. 26. An offense report states that school employee Nanette Lowry suffered minor injuries as a result.

In the other incident, an angry student poured paint on items, tore a thermostat cover off the wall, broke another student’s art project, knocked dirt out of flower pots, and damaged other items in the building, Hudlin said.

“My guess is, this was some sort of tirade going down the hall,” Hudlin said.

Hudlin said each of the calls in January and February have involved some level of violence.

A probable cause affidavit was given to the county attorney’s office for possible prosecution of the Jan. 26 incident. The student involved is above age 10 — the age at which state law sets out as old enough to be charged with a crime — but younger than 18.

Hudlin said a review of “out-of-control juvenile” calls for all of last year listed only a total of three calls, but there might have been other calls to the co-op logged under different descriptions.

One time police were summoned because a student threw a chair, but not at a teacher.

Another call involved violence toward an administrator who didn’t want charges pressed. That student was taken for treatment and returned to school afterward.

Hudlin said the school’s student count seems to be lower this semester. That might be because of changed admission criteria.

Authorities at Oasis did not return a call seeking enrollment numbers.

According to its website, Oasis school is designed to be an environment in which students can develop skills related to academic success and necessary social skills to return to a traditional school setting.

The school works to help students achieve their potential in academics, mental health, and social skills, the website says.