While bullying and drug-related incidents in schools are on the rise statewide, per a new report from the New York State comptroller, data reported by the Peekskill City School District indicates the polar opposite at its six schools.
Peekskill’s school district, along with nine other school districts in Westchester County, reported zero incidents of bullying, discrimination, or harassment in the 2023-24 school year. The district also reported there were no bullying incidents for the 2022-23 school year.
That’s per the definition from the New York State Education Department’s School Safety and the Educational Climate (SSEC) data reporting, which includes verified incidents where a student is harassed, bullied, or discriminated on school property, a school function, or off school property. A full definition and glossary of categories can be found by clicking here.
The report is a stark contrast to complaints made by students in a June 2023 opinion piece published in the Peekskill Herald, and a Board of Education meeting in June 2023, in which community members protested and raised awareness of bullying in Peekskill schools following the death of a 10-year-old Hillcrest Elementary School student, ruled an “accidental asphyxiation” by the Westchester Medical Examiner.
In addition, the district said for those two school years, there were no cyberbullying incidents or safety incidents, which include assault, weapons or drugs possession, bomb threats, and other categories, per SSEC reporting.
Laura Belfiore, communications director at Peekskill City School District, confirmed the numbers were correct based on the definitions provided by the state-mandated reporting.
“Using the structure that the state gives us, those are our numbers,” Belfiore told the Peekskill Herald over the phone. “Obviously our students have conflict. It’s natural. It’s just the definition that we’re given to what constitutes harassment, bullying, [etc.] Those are the parameters we’re given, and those are the numbers that are officially reported.”
The district keeps records of its own bullying and behavior incidents at its schools, Belfiore said. The Herald has put in a request for such records.
Gabriel Berger, a Class of 2022 student who penned the aforementioned opinion letter on bullying, told the Herald he was surprised by the state data, adding that his mother said she reported bullying incidents his siblings dealt with in the 2022-23 school year.
“That’s really surprising to me,” Berger said. “I have a feeling that might just be because people aren’t reporting it. Because I would report bullying, especially in middle school, and [I felt] the school district wouldn’t really do anything about it so I just ended up stopping reporting it. I would just deal with it on my own because I knew I wasn’t going to really get help from the school district.”
The number is a far drop from the 2021-22 school year, which reported 14 discrimination, harassment, and bullying incidents, 2 cyberbullying incidents, 3 sexual offenses, 62 assaults, 25 weapon possessions, 2 bomb threats, 4 false alarms, and 24 use, possession, or sale of drugs incidents. Prior school years also listed a number of incidents in several categories.
In the 2021-22 school year, the state revised the definitions of several incident categories, including assault. The definition of discrimination, harassment, and bullying has remained unchanged since the 2017-18 school year, according to school-level SSEC data.
In a statement to the Herald, Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Mauricio said that the school district strives to create a safe, positive, and welcoming environment for all of its students, a goal that he says educators across the nation are working toward.
“Conflict among students is not unique to any one school or community,” Mauricio said. “At Peekskill, we have strong support systems, clinical staff, and caring adults in place to help our students build positive relationships. Learning how to constructively address conflict, navigate challenges, build empathy, and learn from their mistakes is an important part of life for everyone.”
However, Mauricio said, schools cannot accomplish this goal alone, adding the district is committed to partnering with parents and caregivers to help set an example and reinforce the values of respect and responsibility at home, in the community, and in the district’s schools.
“When we work together as parents, educators, and community members, we create a pathway that leads to success,” Mauricio said. “I believe that together we can help our children grow into compassionate individuals and reach the outcomes they are destined to achieve.”
Belfiore said the Peekskill City School District adheres to all federal, state, and local laws and requirements as they relate to bullying, threats, and complaints. It also follows policies set forth by the Board of Education on bullying prevention and intervention. A student handbook outlines the district’s Code of Conduct and sets expectations for all employees and students.
“When incidents do occur, we take them seriously and immediately investigate any matter brought to our attention to ensure all students and staff feel safe and comfortable in school,” Belfiore said in an email. “When necessary, we implement the Code of Conduct and include restorative practices to assist in rebuilding relationships. This information is reviewed with students and staff by way of staff meetings, town halls/assemblies and other forums throughout the year.”
The Peekskill City School District was not alone in reporting zero bullying, harassment, and discrimination incidents, per SSEC data, for the 2023-24 school year. Out of about 45 districts in the county, ten reported zero incidents, including Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District. Three charter schools also reported zero incidents. The nearby Hendrick Hudson Central School District reported six bullying and four cyberbullying incidents.
Incident data is self-reported and certified as accurate by the superintendent or charter school leader. The State Education Department does not investigate the details of incidents reported via SSEC, although some of the events reported may have come to the department separately for appeal or examination.
A report released on Feb. 2 by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said that bullying and drug-related incidents in schools are on the rise. In the 2023-24 school year, excluding cyberbullying, bullying made up 61.8% of all incidents reported, with a total of 29,817 bullying incidents reported in New York.
“Reliable public data about school safety is critical and informs where we need to address problems and identify solutions,” DiNapoli said in a release. “This report builds on my office’s previous work examining violent and disruptive incidents in our schools. It’s disturbing to see the rise in bullying and drug-related incidents. We need to do everything we can to make sure students and teachers feel safe, and this data shows there is more to do inside and outside our schools to meet these goals.”
State school districts submitted SSEC data for the 2024-25 school year between June 23, 2025. and July 21, 2025. The data has not yet been released.
(Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 1: 43 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, to state that the death of the 10-year-old Hillcrest student was from accidental asphyxiation, according to the county medical examiner.)
