Your article attributes the decline to tougher prison sentences, a booming economy, a decline in hard-drug use and an aging population. Sure, all of these are contributing factors, but I believe you left out one thing. Nothing of the sort happened. On the contrary, I believe that this is one of the factors that has helped bring down the crime rate. The answer is discipline, discipline, discipline.
Parents allow their children to call all the shots, at home and in the classroom.
Give control of the classroom back to the teachers and the principal. Take the lawyers and the courts out of the equation. I'm sure most of the teachers now on staff in Polk County have the ability to inspire and teach our children, whether white, black, yellow, green or purple, if we give them the tools and the freedom to do so without threat from the parents or the courts. We do not need more administrators or counselors. Reduce these staff members to reasonable levels, use the money saved to pay the teachers, then give the teachers the space to teach.