In response to three recent school shootings and the national spotlight they put on school violence, Athens County schools have been working to improve school security procedures, despite cuts in federal funds to promote school safety in recent years.
Local schools receive federal funding for school safety through the Safe and Drug-Free Schools fund. For most Athens County school districts, this funding has decreased significantly over the last several years.
That money has by-and-large dried up
Athens City Schools superintendent Carl Martin said, adding that the district uses the funding to sponsor programs and assemblies on school safety. Athens City Schools received more than $21,000 in Safe and Drug-Free School funding in 2004. In the 2007 fiscal year, it will receive about $12,000.
Our Safe and Drug-Free Schools money has been completely wiped out Trimble Local Schools Superintendent Cindy Johnston said. In the 2007 fiscal year, Trimble will receive $9,546, down from $12,411 in 2004. Before the funding cuts began, the district used to receive enough money to hire a Safe Schools employee at a salary of more than $40,000, including benefits. Since the financial support was cut, safety and security duties have been split among building administrators.
Safe Schools funding for Alexander Local Schools dropped from about $12,000 in 2004 to $8,516 for fiscal year 2007. The district used funding to help pay the salary of a counselor at the elementary school, Superintendent Robert Bray said, adding that he thought it would be difficult for poorer schools in the area to pay for security equipment without federal aid. Alexander has a video surveillance system and employees swipe ID badges to unlock school doors.
Local schools also are reviewing safety procedures in the wake of the school shootings in Colorado, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in late September and early October.
Athens High School has reviewed its emergency lock-down procedures, Principal Mike Meek said, adding that teachers were asked to discuss these policies with their students.
Alexander Local Schools have had two emergency drills in recent weeks, Bray said. Under Ohio law, schools are required to have safety procedures on file with local law enforcement, said Karla Carruthers, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Education.
In addition to providing all of their teachers with crisis management booklets, Trimble Local employees also are training to become Federal Emergency Management Agency first responders, a process that began before the school shootings happened, Johnston said.
You can never predict what could happen but you plan for the worst and hope for the best she said.
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Casey Westlake
