Disturbing brawl at Montgomery Co. high school part of larger trend, report says

WYNCOTE, PA (WTXF) - The disturbing brawl caught on camera at a Montgomery County high school apparently is not so uncommon.

According to numbers Fox 29 obtained from the Department of Education, fights at Cheltenham High School have been a growing problem.

The fight this week that left several staff members hurt is now prompting district officials to take strict action.

Two days after the startling fight between four female students, the District says it is holding "rolling meetings, talking about conduct and culture and warning of severe consequences."

Some students complain fights at the 1,300-pupil high school have jumped of late.

"There have been fights nearly every day for the past month it is really bad," one student told Fox 29.

"I was startled to see someone get hurt at school. It took me aback. I didn't realize there were incidents like that at school," another said.

Fox 29 has pulled discipline reports supplied to the Pennsylvania Department of Education by the district.

They show increasing incidents involving law enforcement and fights over the last three years.

The Safe Schools Report document six infractions for fighting reported at the high school in the 2013-2014 school year, 15 the next year and 16 last year.

Arrests jumped from four in the 2013-2014 school year to 13 in each of the following two school years.

And incidents involving local law enforcement more than doubled from 20 in the 2014-15 school year to 47 last year.

A district spokesperson did not immediately return our calls for comment.

Police drove onto school grounds as classes were dismissed this afternoon.

Students said it was a calm day.

Considering the ugliness of the past week, many hopes it stays that way.

One parent put it this way: "I just want to make sure the kids feel safe and the teachers feel safe."