DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Stephen Decatur Middle School's principal, Matthew Fraas, was put in the 'hot seat' regarding violence, misbehavior and other concerns from parents. 

In 28 days of school, Fraas said 17 days involved physical fights. Data from the middle school showed 55 referrals were handed out to students for fighting. Those numbers, however, do not show how many fights happened.

WAND News is expected to get the exact number from Decatur Public Schools, as requested by a Freedom of Information Act. 

Fraas said the school is working on preventing fights by having security in areas where violence occurs. He mentioned how student services are engaging families. Counselors and social workers are available to students. Rod Wilson, a concerned parent, said he's motivated to be more proactive. 

"I see there's a lot more issues than I was aware of myself," Wilson said. "I didn't realize the magnitude they were facing as an administration and as a school." 

The old proverb "it takes a village" was the take-away message at the end of the meeting. Tami Noble, another concerned parent, said she's more confident the middle school will grow for the better. 

"It's going to be the school it needs to become," Noble said.Â