Two schools in Canton, Mass., are adopting a program that trains students and staff on how to make rapid decisions under pressure in a Columbine-like incident, including determining whether and how to attack an intruder.
I walked every day with a best friend to Wilson grammar school. And, if memory serves me, the most dangerous things in my school life back then were the too-warm cartons of milk and Miss Hildenbrandt, armed with her fiendish ruler.
Security officers must always be prepared and well equipped to handle an emergency, such as a shooting or violent incident on campus. Security staff must be trained to respond effectively, to evacuate affected areas and to notify staff and local authorities.
When voters in the Longview Independent School District (ISD) in east Texas approved a $266.8 million bond issue in 2008, it paved the way for construction of seven new elementary schools, three new middle schools and a complete renovation of Longview High School. Recognizing the critical need for a secure environment for students, staff and school visitors, the bond also provided funding for a new, district-wide video surveillance system.
With the overall greater focus on school security accelerated by a number of tragic headlines in the past few years, parents are looking to school districts for assurance that appropriate steps are being taken to keep children safe.
