As schools nationwide face a surge in threats of violence, educators in the Madison County area are paying close attention to social media and word-of-mouth rumors while reviewing safety protocols.
“The climate of school safety right now across the nation, across the state … I think we’re extra diligent about safety right now,” said Brent Baker, superintendent of Alexandria Community Schools. “We just want to make sure everybody is safe and feeling safe.”
Although no national data exists on the overall surge in threats since two students and two teachers died in a Sept. 4 shooting at a Georgia school, law enforcement experts say it’s not uncommon for threats to spike at the beginning of the school year.
Anderson Community Schools has experienced at least two threats this school year that officials deemed credible enough to issue Facebook statements. District spokesman Brad Meadows said administrators learn daily of vague threats to be discussed and investigated. Administrators share information with parents about threats through an app connected with the district’s student information system.
ACS recently secured $81,000 from a statewide grant program. Superintendent Joe Cronk said the funds will be used to upgrade technology to enhance student safety. Four other local school systems and two local private schools also received safety funding through the grant program.
At Anderson High School, random searches of student backpacks with metal detector wands — similar to those used at airport security checkpoints — began several years ago. More recently, the district obtained weapons detection units that everyone entering the building must pass through.
The idea, Cronk said, is to demonstrate that the schools will do anything possible to keep students safe.
“This is sometimes the only stable place that kids have in their lives,” he said. “We take that mission and that responsibility very seriously.”
School resource officers are another key component of area school districts’ safety plans. According to Alan Landes, assistant principal at Anderson High School, the officers’ ability to build rapport with students creates an added sense of security and safety.
Mike Lee, chief of the Anderson Police Department, which places officers in buildings throughout the district, said the relationship is highly collaborative.
“I cannot imagine us having a better relationship,” Lee said. “It has always been extremely positive, working toward a common goal. We communicate directly with one another very well.”
All 12 buildings in the Anderson district have at least one resource officer on duty every school day. Larger buildings have more than one resource officer working at a time. Altogether, the Anderson Police Department shares 20-30 officers with Anderson schools on a typical school day.
Other area school administrators stress the importance of open lines of communication with parents, as well as regular assessments of safety plans, in maintaining a safe school environment.
“By regularly evaluating our safety protocols and collaborating with local law enforcement and mental health professionals, we aim to ensure that we are prepared for any situation,” said Greg Roach, superintendent of Daleville Community Schools.
“Open communication with parents is essential, and we encourage them to share any concerns they may have.”
South Madison Community Schools follow safety plans formulated by district employees who have completed training at the Indiana School Safety Specialist Academy, an Indiana Department of Education program that provides certification in best state and nationwide practices.
“We send communications to our parents and students about the seriousness of threats to schools,” Mark Hall, superintendent of South Madison Community School Corp., said in an email.
“We encourage anyone who may have information about a potential threat to any of our schools to contact us or law enforcement immediately so we can investigate any potential threats.”
Officers with the Pendleton Police Department are present at all of the district’s buildings during school days, enabling them to verify and neutralize threats quickly, according to Chief Marc Farrer.
“We are lucky to have a great working relationship with the schools,” Farrer said. “For years, the Pendleton Police Department has been welcomed inside the buildings and have full access at all times.”
The presence of resource officers and the efforts of educators are designed to uncover and neutralize increasingly common threats of violence in schools here in the Madison County area and across the nation.
“Unfortunately for us, we live in a society where these things do happen,” said Wura Olorunfemi, senior class president at Anderson High School.
“For my school, they take measures that I feel secure in what they are doing. When I hear those threats directed toward our school, I have a little bit of anxiety, but I also know that I feel safe and protected.”
This article appeared in The Herald Bulletin.