Mount Vernon and Lisbon superintendents reiterated the importance of contacting administration if one feels there is a threat following the school shooting in Perry Thursday, Jan. 4.
Both superintendents reported there was no threat of the incident in Perry spreading to other school buildings, but enforcement and administrative teams combined on the school’s safety plans.
“The Mount Vernon Community School District engages in training with students and staff to deal with active threat situations, and has a comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan that outlines how the district should respond in a variety of emergency and crisis situations,” said Mount Vernon superintendent Greg Batenhorst. “But despite the best training and plans of all school districts, regrettably tragic events can still happen in our schools as well as in other venues in our communities. I say this to remind everyone in the community that if you hear or see something that is of concern to you regarding the safety of those in our schools, please report that immediately to us and to local law enforcement.”
Batenhorst went on to say that often the people who choose to engage in violent behavior have said or done something that is a sign that they may have been planning something to harm others which students may have witnessed, and that telling administration or law enforcement is the best course for safety.
“We should expect, understand, and accept a wide range of emotions and behaviors–and often some general feelings of uncertainty following the incident at Perry,” said Lisbon superintendent Autumn Pino. “We also understand that news coverage and social media discussions may be prevalent in the coming days. It’s possible that your children may hear about the incident from their peers or have questions about what transpired. We encourage open communication at home to help them process their feelings and concerns.
“The most important thing we can do at a time like this is to be supportive, and reassure students that their teachers care for them and our schools are safe spaces to be. Please understand that our school counselors, classroom teachers, and administrators are available if your student needs someone to talk with at any time.”
Pino said that over the last several months, Lisbon has been in ongoing collaboration over safety needs and protocols at the district to improve security.
“Some examples include: a review of safety plans, creating controlled building access points, improving camera surveillance, engaging in ongoing communication with local authorities, and working to determine security upgrades through State grant funding,” Pino said. “In addition, we have caring, concerned, professional staff who are prepared to respond to situations and who spend their days building positive relationships with our students.”
“The Mount Vernon administrative team will take the time to review its safety protocols in light of this most recent school incident, and will continue to do everything possible to keep everyone safe in the school environment,” Batenhorst said.