We admit we were surprised after reviewing documents from the Wake County school system that show the number of dangerous activity reports at area middle and high schools are down.

But it is welcome news, indeed.

Handicapped in so many ways, eastern Wake County schools need to level the playing field where they can.

Schools can't increase the average median income of the families they serve. Schools can't raise the number of parents who are truly interested and invested in their children's education.

But schools can insist on safe environments where learning can take place without fear of what, or who, might be lurking around the corner between classes.

For the most part, eastern Wake's schools seem to be pressing that button successfully.

We have written in this space before about the need for raising our expectations. Teachers and school administrators deserve credit for demanding good behavior from students, ferreting out the bad and dealing with it in such a way as to pressure other students to avoid similar problems.

The effort to reduce incidents of dangerous behavior in our schools is not a one-off deal. As school leaders see those numbers fall, they must continue to guard against a "mission-accomplished" attitude. Keeping the lid on bad behavior means always keeping your hands on the lid and pushing down.

And, while the reports from Wake County indicate lower numbers of violent, dangerous behavior, there remain other misbehaviors that can disrupt the learning process and cause problems for students that are at school for the right reasons.

School leaders are under a great deal of pressure these days to position their students to do well on tests and measure up to state and federal standards. That's hard enough to accomplish in a safe environment. It's virtually impossible if the schoolyard is like the Wild West.

It would be wonderful to see these numbers continue to fall. As they do, parents who may consider other educational opportunities for their children might be more willing to take a look at the schools in their own backyard.