“We want to have normal school routines as much as possible,” said Joni Copas, spokeswoman for Hamilton City Schools.
Although schools reported not having many requests for counseling services on Monday, support was on hand to assist as needed. Many districts reported phone calls from parents since the shooting, asking about security measures in place at the schools.
Middletown City Schools Superintendent Greg Rasmussen said school safety is the No. 1 priority for the district.
“We believe our schools are safe,” Rasmussen said. “The district’s school resource officers are well-trained in crisis response. Our SROs and local police help promote a positive and safe environment.”
Gracie Gregory, the district’s spokeswoman, said a message was sent to staff members Monday from Rasmussen and information was also posted on the district’s website.
“Principals are reviewing policies and procedures with their staffs, and our superintendent and Business Manager (George Long) will be meeting with the Middletown Police Department to review the district’s procedures,” she said.
Gregory also noted surveillance cameras are used in all school buildings and school resource officers are at the high school, middle school and the Highview 6th Grade Center.
Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones said Monday he would be increasing deputy patrols around county school buildings. Jones also said he would be renewing his push for legislation that would mandate placing armed personnel in all public and private Ohio schools — an idea he first introduced after the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007.
Jones said he believes putting guns in schools — either assigned law enforcement officers or select teachers or administrators trained in firearms techniques — “makes the most sense.”
“I believe having armed personnel readily available to immediately respond would be a deterrent in and of itself,” Jones said. “If a potential shooter knows someone might react within seconds rather than having a 15- to 30-minute or more window of opportunity to wreak havoc on as many victims as possible, they might rethink their plan.”
Jones said there will be more frequent patrols through school parking lots and on various other school grounds. Also, at least two additional marked units will be deployed during normal school hours to specifically patrol school grounds.
While the added patrols or his “guns in schools” proposal are not a guarantee a school shooting would never take place, Jones hopes it can limit the possibility of a similar tragedy.
“Most of the recent victims were young, innocent children. We have to take whatever steps we can to protect our future,” Jones said. “Kids should be safe at school. We have to do anything we can to try to keep them that way.”
Madison school officials met with their staff Monday morning to assure them they “weren’t taking this lightly,” said A.J. Huff, the district’s coordinator of school-community relations.
“Everyone is going to be in a heightened level of awareness right now,” Huff said. “We reminded them of our safety plans that we already have in place.”
Huff said Madison installed surveillance systems into the new elementary and high school buildings when they were built.
“We also have buzzer systems to all the doors (where) you have to be buzzed in,” she said. “We’d talked about that system and discussed whether to change things or beef things up. All those conversations are occurring.”
A letter assuring parents of the security measures was posted on the school’s Facebook site and emailed to parents from superintendent Curtis Philpot. Huff said the letter was also given to its pre-kindergarten through sixth grade students Monday to be taken home.
Huff said a moment of silence was observed at the high school, but not at the elementary school.
“We just didn’t feel that was age appropriate,” she said.
Monroe Local Schools Superintendent Phil Cagwin said Monday was as normal as possible.
“In times of stress and anxiety, routine and normalcy are comforts for most children,” Cagwin said. “We did not tell teachers they were to openly address the issue with their classrooms. I believe that parents would prefer to address the topic individually with their children.”
Cagwin said teachers were free to answer individual questions or concerns from their students and the school counselor was also available to the students in each of the district’s three buildings.
All Monroe schools are installed with surveillance cameras and security policies are routinely reviewed.
“We review/re-evaluate our safety and security procedures on a regular basis, but this terrible incident in a primary school certainly causes all educators and parents to be increasingly vigilant in providing a safe and secure learning environment in our public schools,” Cagwin said.
Jesse Von Stein chief range safety officer and certified pistol instructor at Lake Bailee Recreation Park, said he and a group of area instructors will offer a conceal and carry course for all school personnel “from the janitor on up” on Feb. 10.
The 12-hour course will include CCW training, hand-to-hand contact and diversion tactics, Von Stein said.
“Hopefully they will never have to use it, but they will be trained if they do,” Von Stein said.
For more information, call 513-893-5585.
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