KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In a show of force at Wednesday's school board meeting, former gang members came forward and demanded help in a new effort to solve the city's gang problems.
"We can't allow the Kansas City, Mo. School District to become a prison prep system," said Ossco Bolton, a former gang member who now works to keep kids away from gangs. "We've got to start developing kids so they can rise above those prisons," he added.
Experts say the problem in Kansas City schools is getting worse.
"We have 765 identified gang members, mostly Latinos, with 60 sects," said Luis Cordova, a multicultural professor at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg. Other experts cited a fewer number of gangs, but agreed that the problem is coming back.
It's hard to trace gangs by the numbers, especially if you look at discipline reports.
An August report from the Missouri State Auditor uncovered problems with the way Kansas City schools report discipline numbers to the state.
In 2002-2003, the district reported 7 disciplinary cases for every 100 students at school. That number swelled to 89 cases for every 100 students recently. And in between, the district reported zero discipline problems due to improperly trained staff entering the numbers.
Ossco Bolton says the experts aren't the ones solving the problem.
"Ph.D.s can't solve this; master's degrees can't solve this. It takes people that have been shot at, who understand why kids sell dope. Those are the people who can come in and help change this," he added.
Dwayne Scott used to be in a gang, but left with Bolton's help after seeing too many friends die on the streets.
"You see them get killed right next to you. Of course, that changes you; because if they can be killed, it can happen to you at any point in time," he said.
Scott said life seemed meaningless growing up in Kansas City. He assumed he wouldn't live into his 20s, figuring he'd die in a robbery or in a shooting.
Now he's vowing to help get other kids off the streets.
Bolton says Kansas City schools will have a hard time raising academic standards without addressing the gang issue.
"He's not worried about ACTs, he's worried about getting killed," Bolton said, referring to one student.
School Board President Marilyn Simmons acknowledged the link between the resurgence of gangs and poor test scores. She said that the gang problem was getting worse.
"No child will feel safe, no teacher will feel safe, and we can't expect them to," she said, unless the current state of affairs changes.
Bolton is calling for an effort from neighborhoods up to start working with students and providing alternatives to gangs. He says the school district is ill equipped to handle the issue internally.
