WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM The Triangle Racial disparities in Wake County public school disciplineBy Billy Ball RIBUNE THE POLICY WATCH TTHE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE Nearly 70 percent of law enforcement referrals made in Wake County schools over the last two years involved African-American students. That overwhelmingly high rate comes despite black students making up less VOLUME 19 NO. 1 WEEK OF APRIL 9, 2017 $1.00 than a quarter of total student enrollment in the Wake County Public School System. It’s one of several key findings gleaned in new district data obtained by Shaw ends spring Policy Watch from administrators in North Carolina’s largest public school system, almost three months after a Wake school resource officer’s violent practice with football clash with a black teenager at Rolesville High School spurred calls for re- forms in the way K-12 leaders deploy cops in school. game at Southern Activists, local officials and policy experts all criticized the data, which is High School. compiled by the school system in order to comply with the district’s expir- ing deal with local law enforcement agencies to provide SRO services. “There is an obvious problem in Wake public schools when it comes to interacting with African- American students,” said Letha Muhammad, an activist with the Education Justice Alliance, a group urging changes in the way Wake schools disciplines students. Please seeDISPARITIES/2A Tax cut Blacks less proposal Advocates rally for likely to presses get flu STAFF REPORTS ruralCongresswoman Eva Clayton school and dozens of educators, communitydistricts leaders and politicians attended ‘Ad- vaccine forward in vocacy Day for Making Rural Districts a Priority in North Carolina’ in Raleigh. The event focused on making MCLEAN, Va. – Fewer than half rural school districts a priority in the General Assembly, as well as increased funding for teachers, recruit- of American adults get vacci- ment and quality school leaders. nated despite strong recom- While North Carolina has the second-largest rural population in the nation, the unique needs of rural mendations from the Centers General for Disease Control and Preven- school districts are often forgotten among other education discussions. Over two-thirds of the state’s tra- ditional public school districts are rural, and nearly 40 percent of students in traditional public schools are tion and widespread availability educated in rural districts. Low-wealth rural communities lack community resources to attract and retain of free and low-cost vaccines. Furthermore, African-Ameri- AssemblyBy Gary D. Robertson the best teachers, and they lag behind on digital infrastructure. If rural communities and our state are to have economic prosperity, rural public schools must rank high among our investment priorities. cans are less likely to get the flu ASSOCIATED PRESS shot than white Americans, and RALEIGH – Senate Republicans concerns about side effects pressed ahead Tuesday with from the vaccine play a large passing a tax reduction package role in this disparity. According of more than $1 billion over the to the CDC, only 41 percent of next two years, convinced the black adults received the flu plan will contribute to the ex- vaccine compared with 47 per- panding state economy and cent of white adults. generate more revenues, as they For those who opted not to get say recent tax cuts have done. vaccinated, the risk of suffering By a 35-14 party-line vote, the side effects from the vaccine chamber gave initial approval to seemed greater than the risk of the measure after familiar argu- getting the flu itself, according ments between Democrats and to the new study, “The role of Republicans about who should risk perception in flu vaccine benefit from tax cuts and sur- behavior among African Ameri- pluses. can and white adults in the US,” Senate GOP leaders described published in the latest issue of the plan as the latest step in the journal Risk Analysis. One of overhauling the state's tax sys- the reasons white participants tem, which began in earnest in decided to forego vaccination 2013 under GOP rule in Raleigh. was because they did not view They say the tax reductions are getting sick with seasonal flu as helping the state's economy at- a “big deal.” Many African- tract businesses and create jobs, Americans said they worried which in turn keeps tax rev- about the safety of the shot it- enues robust despite the rate self. cuts. State economists recently The study included 800 white projected a $550 million sur- and 800 black participants. The plus for the fiscal year ending researchers contracted with Gfk, June 30. MATHIAS BISHOP an international research firm "We believe that the people of Eva Clayton (green) poses with several of the educators and future educators of rural areas. that uses a probability-based North Carolina can spend their online panel, to conduct the sur- money better than can the gov- vey, which took place in March ernment," bill sponsor Sen. after peak flu season had ended. Tommy Tucker, R-Union, said The survey instrument was de- during floor debate. veloped based on initial insights One more Senate vote is gathered from interviews and needed Wednesday before it focus groups with the target au- heads to the House, which has dience. proposed its own tax plan that While flu vaccine campaigns would cost $368 million over Mother of fatally shot Durham man often focus on the dangers of the next two years. The compet- the flu, the results of this study ing plans are likely to be a major suggest that flu vaccine cam- component of Senate and House paigns should also address the negotiations in the final weeks speaksBy Sarah Magargee out, disputes police action perceived risks of vaccination of the General Assembly session by highlighting how vaccines this summer. CORRESPONDENT work. Democrats, including new DURHAM – During a tearful meet- “The trust of the American Gov. Roy Cooper, have been ing with the press Tuesday after- people in government is at an critical of past tax cuts they say noon, Louise Pratt, mother to the all-time low, which also feeds benefited the wealthy and out- late Kenneth “Kenny” Bailey, 24, de- into fear of vaccines,” said Vicki of-state corporations too much scribed her son as an energetic Freimuth, lead author of the and meant billions of dollars young man loved by his family and study and professor of health were unavailable for systemic community. and risk communication at the needs in public education, Bailey was fatally shot by author- University of Georgia. “Most health care and infrastructure. ities in broad daylight outside a rel- people have very limited under- The Senate GOP plan would ative's home in the Bluefield public standing of the way vaccine rec- reduce the state's individual in- housing community on Feb. 15 after ommendations are determined come rate of 5.49 percent to violating a pretrial release curfew and how vaccines are made and 5.35 percent in 2018, which also the night before. distributed. Perhaps increasing applies to many small busi- “Kenny was a loving person. He knowledge about the process nesses. The amount of a wage- wanted to go to barber school and and its many contributing or- earner's income not subject to open his own business. He wanted ganizations may decrease per- income taxes also would in- to be a barber because he always ception of risk from the crease. For example, the stan- wanted to look neat,” Pratt said, her vaccine.” dard deduction for a married voice choked with emotion. “He was PHOTO/SARAH MAGARGEE Six researchers at the Univer- a son. He was a father. He left be- couple filing jointly would in- Louise Pratt discusses her son’s death. sity of Georgia, the University of crease from $17,500 this year to hind two boys.” Maryland and the University of Born in Durham and raised in the $20,000 in 2018. The child tax After a brief chase, three shots front of him,” said Nia Wilson, exec- Pittsburgh conducted the re- Walltown community, Bailey was credit would be converted into were fired hitting Bailey once in the utive director of Spirit House. “It search, which was supported by awaiting trial on August 2016 a deduction that Republican calf and twice between the stomach does not make a lot of sense.” the Center of Excellence in Race, charges of armed robbery. After says would result in a higher tax and neck. The first shot, Pratt said, Sharon Chapman, Bailey’s aunt Ethnicity and Health Disparities posting bail, he was ordered to wear write-off for low-income fami- took him down and multiple wit- and Pratt’s sister, questioned why Research of the National Insti- an electronic monitoring device and lies. nesses reported Bailey repeatedly officers entered the home with guns tutes of Health. be home between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Before a 2013 tax overhaul, saying, “I’m down. You got me.” drawn for a basic violation of cur- While the researchers found On Feb. 14 Bailey broke curfew for the top individual tax rate was “Why were there gun shots after a few. disparities between the two the third time and Select Enforce- 7.75 percent and the corporate 20-second chase?” Pratt asked. “We are not criminals. We are not races as a whole, they also ment Team officers Thomas M. rate was 6.9 percent. “Once he was shot the first time, he animals. We are human beings, and found trends that were common Greathouse, Alan G. D’Meza and Other business tax changes went down. Why wasn’t that we don’t deserve to be treated like between certain demographic Cpl.