In the wake of the recent Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut that left 27 dead, including the gunman, we may find ourselves asking, “Is our school safe?” Schools are among the safest places for children and adolescents in the United States, in fact, crime in schools has been trending downward for more than a decade. Nationwide statistics however provide little solace when 20 first-graders and six adults are senselessly gunned down in a small town elementary school.
Although crimes are abundant in larger cities, smaller cities similar to Devine are not exempt from these crimes. Many schools, Devine included, have a lockdown procedure policy, which in the case of an intruder, the school will go into lockdown mode. The purpose of a lockdown is to keep students and staff protected behind locked doors so police and other first responders can find, isolate and eliminate an intruder as quickly as possible. Locking down the school as a first response during an active shooter situation is a smart thing to do. However, in a situation where a shooter is approaching locked-down classrooms, teachers must do what is needed to protect the life of students, even if that means breaking a window with a chair and running.
Even with the lock down procedure in place at Devine, is that really enough to keep students safe? The DHS administration office is located upstairs, which can be unfavorable in the event of an active shooter situation. An intruder can enter from the lower level and wreak havoc without the knowledge of the administration upstairs. It is recommended that all students, staff and visitors come into one main entrance and keep all exterior doors locked during the school day. However, with DHS having multiple buildings, it is not easy to enact these safety measures. Because of the multiple buildings, there are multiple entrances and exits, which make DHS a vulnerable target for this type of violent crime.
It is important to note that keeping DHS safe is an ongoing task. As administration become aware of new procedures and security improvements, they share the knowledge with their faculty and staff to provide a safer environment for their students. With the Sandy Hook shooting, security has been heightened and vigilance is at an all-time high. In the past, all exterior doors at DHS were unlocked, however due to the incident, Devine ISD has implemented a modified lockdown on all of its’ campuses until the end of this week. During this modified lockdown, all exterior and interior doors will be locked at all times across all campuses. Visitors wishing to enter any DISD campus will have to call the campus office to gain entrance at each exterior door. Devine ISD will be meeting with Medina County and other school officials this week to review and discuss county emergency response.
Although we do not like to think about it and we often console ourselves by saying that it will never happen here, the fact of the matter is that a shooting is possible and by preparing for the unspeakable, countless lives could be saved. Unfortunately, not all tragedies can be prevented, but schools and districts need to be ready to handle crises, large and small, to keep students and staff out of harm’s way. It is always best to be safe than sorry.