The Federal Bureau of Investigation has tallied nearly 1.3 million criminal incidents on U.S. school property from 2020 through 2024, according to a report released on 12 August. The total includes about 540,000 assaults and roughly 45,000 sex offenses. Because only around 9,000 of the nation’s 18,000 law-enforcement agencies submitted data, the bureau says the true scale of school-based crime is likely higher. The figures have intensified calls for expanded school-choice programs. Education-policy analyst Corey DeAngelis, citing peer-reviewed research showing private and charter schools report fewer safety problems, said the FBI findings underscore the need to give parents alternatives. Steve Forbes echoed the view, arguing that teachers unions are blocking reforms and leaving children in unsafe environments. Republican lawmakers are beginning to respond. Representative Keith Self said he would work with Illinois colleague Mary Miller on legislation aimed at strengthening parental rights and allowing families to leave what he described as violent schools. The debate adds momentum to state-level efforts, such as a new Texas law that strips public-school immunity in sex-abuse cases, as districts nationwide prepare for the new academic year.