While touring schools Monday morning, Superintendent Dallas Dance was asked by a kindergarten student what he is doing to keep kids safe after a on Friday.
"This is something we already take seriously," Dance said he told the student during an interview with local media Monday afternoon.
Following two highly publicized gun incidents at Perry Hall High School and Stemmers Run Middle School respectively, the school system was already in the process of reviewing its safety practices and put some new measures to use after the Friday shooting.
"We're continuing to move forward in our efforts because we already started this work," Dance said.
He pointed to work currently being done by his administration regarding safety protocol such as regular police patrols around school campuses, the creation of the office of security and safety and implementing buzzer systems at school entrances.
"We just amped up the efforts after Friday," he said.
The school system sent protocol to elementary school staff Sunday afternoon explaining how to respond the the Newtown shooting, which left 26 individuals—including 20 kids—dead. Dance noted that student support services are also a critical component of safety planning.
Dance and Police Chief Jim Johnson will work together to consider additional security measures for county schools.
"You really have to make sure you're doing everything on the front end," he said. "Again, it's all about being proactive."
a visit or two to the school I walked right in past several staff members trying to find where I needed to go and not one faculty questioned my presence walking through the halls. This has happened twice. I find that to be quite disturbing. When children are in school the doors should be locked. Anyone needing to enter the school should do so at the main entrance so that parents, visitors etc... can be monitored. What ever happened to signing in and out and getting a pass. Scool faculties are much too laid back.
Paying for it however would be hard in this time of tight budgets. Redirect speed camera revenue for this purpose perhaps. Bake sales? Who knows, but most parents would not hesitate to help fund this. I'd pay $20 a month or so for this.
With a 90 round magazine that shooter can fire every military killing round within 2 minutes with a "legal" assault weapon. Our kids wouldn't stand a chance. As long as we are willing to allow weapons for everyone we will have to accept an "acceptable" level of killing. Sorry to be so blunt, but that's just the facts. Our kids will continue to die.