Hartselle City Schools experienced a sharp increase in misbehavior during the 2011-2012 school year, according to state-mandated accountability reports that track financial stability, student achievement, school safety and discipline.

The latest report on student discipline shows that the city’s five schools combined reported 453 incidents of misbehavior in 2011-2012 compared to 320 in the prior fiscal year. The difference of 133 reflects a 70 percent increase over the prior year.

Hartselle Junior High School replaced Hartselle High School as the school having the largest number of reportable incidents. It reported 182 incidents or 50 more than the 132 recorded in the prior school year.

Incidents at Hartselle High topped out at 149, or seven fewer that the number reported in 2010-2011.

The city’s three elementary schools combined reported 22 incidents, or 10 less than the 32 it reported in the prior year. Of that number, Crestline had 15, or eight fewer that the 23 it reported in 2010-2011; Barkley Bridge reported five, or two more than what it had in the prior year; and F.E. Burleson had two compared to six in the prior year.

Of the incidents reported, 92 were for disobedience, 65 for unauthorized absences, 52 for harassment, 23 for profanity/vulgarity and 21 for defiance.

Twenty of the incidents resulted from tobacco use or possession, 16 from disruptive behavior, 11 from disorderly conduct, 10 for assault, nine for fighting, four for drug possession or drug sue, three for knife possession, and one each for burglary, threat-intimidation, sexual harassment, weapon possession, and possession of an unauthorized communication device.

Disciplinary actions resulting from the incidents were as follows: 293 in-school suspensions, 24 outside-school suspensions, 10 alternative school and one corporal punishment.

Under state law the accountability reports are kept on file in the offices of school system superintendents and are available for public viewing.