Watchung Hills Schools Drug, Alcohol Cases See Decline: Data

WARREN, NJ — Watchung Hills Regional School District saw a slight decline in substance-abuse cases for the 2017-18 school year versus the previous year. While Warren Township schools saw an incline.

New Jersey has released its annual list of substance-abuse cases reported by each school district, revealing the most recent data of reported cases.

Here is a look at how Watchung Hills Regional School District and Warren Township Schools ranked compared to the 2016-17 school year:

There were 17 such cases reported in Watchung Hills Regional School District for the 2017-18 school year, according to numbers released by the state Department of Education recently. This was five less cases than what was reported in the 2016-17 school year, which was 22 cases.

There were four such cases reported in Warren Township Schools for the 2017-18 school year, according to numbers released by the state Department of Education recently. This was four more than what was reported in the 2016-17 school year, which saw 0 cases.

Watchung Hills Regional School District ranked eighth highest in Somerset County and 82nd overall in the state. Warren Township ranked 13th highest in Somerset County and 247th overall in the state. Hillsborough ranked the highest in Somerset County.

The state Department of Education has cautioned that these numbers are reported by each district, so each jurisdiction is responsible for reporting its results fairly and accurately. But they are required by law to report them.

Here is how all Somerset County school districts compared. (The schools are listed by state ranking, number of cases reported in 2017-18 vs. 2016-17):

• 11. Hillsborough - 53 vs. 17
• 29. Franklin - 31 vs. 31
• 44. Bridgewater-Raritan Regional - 25 vs. 25
• 62. Bernards Township - 19 vs. 4
• 71. North Plainfield 18 vs. 10
• 79. Somerset Hills Regional - 17 vs. 14
• 80. Somerville - 17 vs. 17
• 82. Watchung Hills Regional - 17 vs. 22
• 179. Somerset County Ed Serv Comm - 7 vs. 2
• 223. Bound Brook - 4 vs. 7
• 235. Manville - 4 vs. 6
• 244. Somerset County Vocational - 4 vs. 3
• 247. Warren Township - 4 vs. 0
• 271. Watchung Borough - 3 vs. 0
• 283. Green Brook Borough - 2 vs. 0
• 289. Montgomery Township - 2 vs. 0
• 336. South Bound Brook 1 vs. 0

To view the statewide list, including the districts with the highest increases and biggest reductions, click here.

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