Santa Rosa schools face challenges with weapons, drugs, closures
Glock found in 16-year-old's backpack in Santa Rosa
On Tuesday, police responded to a tip that a student at Elsie Allen High School had a gun on campus. In the end, police arrested a 16-year-old who was wearing a black satchel and had been sitting outside with a friend.
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Schools in Santa Rosa have been hit with a flurry of challenges in the last month, from fatal drug overdoses, a stabbing, school closures and the latest - a student was arrested for allegedly carrying a loaded gun and knife onto campus.
Glock found in student's bag
On Tuesday, police responded to atip that a student at Elsie Allen High School had a gun on campus. In the end, police arrested a 16-year-old who was wearing a black satchel and had been sitting outside with a friend.
Police said they searched the teen's bag and uncovered a loaded 9mm Glock pistol. Officers also allegedly found a knife in the pocket of the students' pants.
The student was arrested under suspicion of obstructing a peace officer and four felonies: possession of a firearm on school grounds, possession of a loaded firearm, possession of ammunition on school grounds and possession of a knife on school grounds.
Student stabbed
Last week, a 15-year-old at the same school was stabbed multiple times, allegedly by another 15-year-old boy, police said.
Police said class was in session when a fight broke out between the two boys. The suspect produced a black folding knife and then proceeded to stab the victim at least three times in the upper torso.
A staff member inside the classroom and a teacher from a neighboring classroom broke up the fight. Police said 14 students witnessed the stabbing.
Elsie Allen High was in the news in August when there was another stabbing on campus. A 14-year-old student stabbed a 13-year-old student.
Fentanyl overdoses cost Santa Rosa high schools district current, former students lives
Santa Rosa police investigators said on Monday they're conducting multiple investigations into the overdose death of two high school students, and the poisoning and hospitalization of two others, all due to fentanyl.
Fentanyl deaths
The gun arrest follows the late-February deaths of two students, a 16-year-old girl at Santa Rosa High and a 18-year-old boy who attended Montgomery High, both in Santa Rosa, who overdosed on fentanyl. Two other Santa Rosa students, ages 14 and 16, were hospitalized.
A 21-year-old was arrested in connection with those deaths, but the District Attorney has not filed charges against him at this point.
Officials said they believe the victims in both cases bought what they believed to be cocaine, but it was most likely fentanyl.
Montgomery High is also where a 15-year-old student stabbed a 16-year-old to death in 2023.
One student stabbed another at Elsie Allen High School in Santa Rosa. Feb. 25, 2025.
School closures
The Santa Rosa community is also upset about three elementary schools closing to offset a multi-million deficit, a situation faced by many districts nationwide.
Brook Hill and Albert Biella elementary schools will close by June of this year, and Steele Lane Elementary will close by June of next year.