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KEARNS — Ken Auld is the first to admit he's not the most popular administrator at Kearns High School.
Some students will even turn and walk the other direction when they see him walking down the hallway just to avoid having to talk to him.
But it doesn't bother Auld. As long as the students are following all the school rules and the school is a safe environment for everyone — that's what matters most to the assistant principal.
This is Auld's first year at Kearns High School, and already the former juvenile corrections counselor is receiving praise for helping to turn around the school's gang problem.
The gang problem at Kearns HighEven the Unified Police Department acknowledged that in past years, the high school had developed a reputation for having a gang problem. That problem put Kearns High School directly in the public spotlight on Jan. 21, 2009, when escalating gang tensions within the school boiled over to a confrontation between two groups across the street from the school and a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed in the middle of the street.
That shooting capped off a violent couple of weeks around the Salt Lake Valley that included four shootings and one stabbing, mostly among juvenile gang members. Not all of those incidents were related to the high school.
But today, Auld said school resource officers who worked at Kearns in years past, walk into Kearns and can't believe the difference that has taken place this year.
"They say, 'Man it's just calm. There's no tension.' They're just really amazed at the change here at Kearns."
At one point, the gang problem at Kearns was so bad that students would avoid walking down certain hallways for fear of being harassed or intimidated by gang members.
"There were hallways the students couldn't go down. There was an intimidation factor by a number of gang members at the school. I just felt like that was not fair to our students and not fair to the community," Auld said.
Students say the school's atmosphere today is much calmer than it used to be.
"There's definitely been a decrease in all gang problems," said junior Justin Summers. "I've had friends that have been involved that have ... decreased their activity."
Simple changes make a big difference
Earlier this month, Auld received the Citizen Service Award from Unified police for his effort in turning the gang problem at Kearns High School around. From day one of the current school year, Auld said he came in with a plan to clean the gang problem by instituting a strict dress code.
A poster with the dress code rules is displayed on the wall of the main office. All students are required to follow the dress code, which includes no bandanas of any color, no sagging pants, no shirts with monikers printed on them, no hats, no clothing with overt gang colors and no cell phones or pagers.
"The students have not been putting up a fight with the administration as much as they used to," said senior Andre Juarez. "They're not trying to start problems, looking for problems, not going around trying to be all tough and bad."
Some students — many of them documented gang members — were asked to sign a "gang contract," agreeing to not wear certain clothing to school or engage in gang activity at school. About two dozen students have signed the contract so far.
The school administration met with those students and their parents at the beginning of the year to make sure they also understood what was expected of them.
"If they wanted their child to attend Kearns High, they were going to have to change the way they dressed. And that was a huge impact on the school from the very beginning," Auld said.
The new Kearns High
The result this year has been a "huge success," Auld said.
There's an expectation here at Kearns High School that when you come to school, you're coming to school to get an education, and gang activity is just a distraction.
–Ken Auld, Kearns High administrator
#auld_quote
"Our gang activity has been minimal. We haven't had any gang fights this year," he said. "They are not acting out overtly at school, and it has not become a distraction here at school."
Students no longer take long detours to avoid certain hallways. And there are hardly any students roaming the hallways during class time. Auld said there are still gang members that attend Kearns, and there have been the typical student-related fights that every school has. But they have not been gang-related.
"There's an expectation here at Kearns High School that when you come to school, you're coming to school to get an education, and gang activity is just a distraction. But more importantly, gang activity creates an unsafe environment," he said. "If the message (those who dress in gang clothes) wanted to project at Kearns High School was they're a gang member, that message is inappropriate and a distraction and would not be allowed here at Kearns."
Student Afuvai Le'iato said he's glad for the higher expectations at the school. Fewer tensions and distractions make for a better environment.
"It's a lot more peaceful over here," he said. "I like it that way."
The new policy helps to keep all 1,700 students at the school safe, Auld said. Gang members drive by the school everyday, Auld said. But when they don't see others dressed in gang attire, they keep driving.
You have the right to be whoever you want to be, but you don't have the right to intimidate other people or behave however you want.
–Ken Auld, Kearns High administrator
#auld_quote1
Also, there have been incidents of adult gang members entering the school this year who were quickly identified by the way they dressed and were arrested for trespassing.
Not every student has agreed to the policy. About a dozen students, mostly juniors and seniors, who started the year at Kearns no longer go to the school because they would not agree to the new dress code.
All of those students were given the option of staying at Kearns if they agreed to change the way they dressed, or they could attend an alternative school. Some of the students, however, have just dropped out altogether, Auld said.
"We want everyone at Kearns High School to be successful. But when you have to look over your shoulder and you have to worry about this hall or worry about going around this group of people, it's not fun to be at school," he said.
"You have the right to be whoever you want to be, but you don't have the right to intimidate other people or behave however you want."
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