Mid-Year Safety Update

Superintendent Bradley Provides Mid-Year Safety and Security Update
Posted on 12/19/2024
Mid-Year Safety and Security Update

As we approach the halfway point of the school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the important work that our team has done to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and school communities. Over the past few months, we have focused on sharing with you the critical actions that have been taken to reinforce our commitment to a safe and secure learning environment. Transparency has been a cornerstone of these efforts, but we also want our parents and staff to have a clear and comprehensive understanding of the current state of safety within our district.

Guided by the governance leadership of our Board of Education, our staff has worked to implement effective safety measures. These actions have been inspired by the goal of providing peace of mind to all members of our community and environments that are conducive to learning. We have also made key investments to support this sentiment, ensuring that we are well-equipped to face any challenges that may arise.

A few weeks ago, I shared an initial safety update outlining our progress and future plans. Now, I am sharing it again to further emphasize just how serious we take safety in Newton County Schools. Of course, we are committed to maintaining open communication, and look forward to continuing this vital work together.

Context - A Series of Events

This school year, we have faced an unusual series of safety-related challenges that have required decisive action. One of the first incidents when the report of a weapon at Sharp Stadium during a Friday night football game raised concerns. In response, we began evaluating enhanced safety measures for our district’s only mass-capacity venue. This led to the emergency purchase and installation of a stadium-specific weapons detection system, which was implemented for use last month.

Soon thereafter, the tragic events at Apalachee High School sparked a wave of threats across the state and nation, many of which were later determined to be hoaxes or unfounded. While schools near and far faced similar challenges, we made a conscious decision to administer strong disciplinary actions in response to these threats. To date, our district has made multiple arrests and issued several expulsions related to this conduct.

Community Engagement and Input

In October, we hosted a community-wide Safe Schools Forum to outline our district’s safety protocols, share the multi-year investments we’ve made to enhance safety, and discuss the mental health support systems available to our students. The forum underscored our community's passions about school safety and the disruptions affecting our schools and learning environments. Although the number of student threats has sharply decreased, ongoing conversations and anecdotal feedback have shown a clear desire to take additional steps to reinforce our district’s safety measures.

To help guide next steps, we conducted a survey to gather your preferences on potential enhancements, including the use of weapons detection systems, clear book bags, and an expanded School Resource Officer (SRO) program. The survey results revealed overwhelming support (90% +) for both the use of weapons detection technology and the expansion of our SRO program.

Response and Action – Weapons Detection Pilot Adoption

In response to this feedback, I want to share that during our recent Special-Called Board meeting, the Board voted to implement a 90-day pilot program for weapons detection in our middle and high schools.

Of note: This pilot will allow us to assess the system’s effectiveness and operational feasibility while planning for future use and potential program expansion. Additionally, as part of our upcoming budget development process, we will also evaluate the financial feasibility of expanding our SRO program across the district.

Moving Forward

In closing, please take comfort in knowing that the work that we’ve done around safety and security has been a collaborative effort, informed by the feedback and expressed concerns of our community. I want to assure you that every decision we’ve made has been guided by a commitment to the safety of our students and to responding to the wishes of our families, staff, and community members.

I thank you in advance for your continued support and engagement.

Sincerely,
Duke

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As a clearer expression of organizational transparency, please note the following Safety and Security timeline of events and action:

1. EARLY SCHOOL YEAR – Report of Weapon at Sharp Stadium

  • Event: Report of a weapon during a Friday night football game at Sharp Stadium.
  • Action: Immediate evaluation of safety measures.
  • Result: Emergency purchase of a weapons detection system, implemented immediately upon the completion of training.

2. POST APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL TRAGEDY – Nationwide Safety Threats

  • Event: Tragic events at Apalachee High School spark widespread safety threats, many of which were hoaxes or otherwise unsubstantiated.
  • Action: Decisive leadership by the Board and consensus view to enforce strong disciplinary actions against threats in partnership with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office.
  • Result: Multiple arrests and student removals in response to the threats.

3. DIRECT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – Community Engagement Forum

  • Event: Superintendent Bradley and the district’s Executive Safety Team held a community-wide safety forum to discuss safety protocols, investments in safety, and mental health support systems.
  • Action: Direct engagement with the community to hear concerns about safety and disruptions to the learning environment.
  • Result: Clear expression of community concerns and a desire to enhance safety measures.

4. POST SAFETY FORUM – Community Safety Survey

  • Event: Conducted a survey to gather input on potential safety measures (e.g., weapons detection systems, clear book bags, expanded School Resource Officer program).
  • Action: Collection of community feedback to inform next steps.
  • Result: Overwhelming support for weapons detection technology and expanded SRO program.

5. GOVERNANCE – Special Called Board Meeting

  • Event: Special Called Board Meeting to review community input and next steps.
  • Action: Approval of a 90-day pilot program for weapons detection at middle and high schools.

6. ONGOING – Evaluation of SRO Program

  • Event: Discussion on expanding the School Resource Officer program as part of the budget development process.
  • Action: Ongoing evaluation of financial capacity to expand the SRO program; Explore potential continued investment in enhancing school safety.