Newtown Shooting Prompts Focus on Safety in NK Schools
What are NK schools doing to improve safety following the shooting in Newtown?
Last week, the news of a shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, CT shocked the country as reports confirmed that 26 people were killed by a lone gunman. Of those 26 killed, 20 of them were first graders at Sandy Hook Elementary School. According to reports, the shooter – 20-year-old Adam Lanza – broke into the school through a window, circumventing the school’s security systems and locked doors.
Communities across the country began to wonder, “Could it happen here?”
In North Kingstown it was no different, as principals, teachers and administrators received emails from concerned parents throughout town. According to School Superintendent Phil Auger, each school is beginning to take a closer look at safety and security in the wake of the tragedy.
Each school has a crisis response plan covering a number of scenarios – fires, evacuations, severe weather, medical emergencies, power failures, crimes, bomb threats and even shootings. By state law, all schools practice 15 drills each year, including two evacuation drills and two lockdown drills.
“The lockdown drills are very serious,” said Auger. “I’ve seen students cry, and these were high school students.”
During lockdown drills, each classroom door is locked and students, teachers and staff are to stay quiet and out of sight, huddling down in the corners of the room. Unfortunately, the setup of some schools creates a challenge for administrators.
While most schools have a traditional setup, two of North Kingstown’s schools host an open floor plan. At sister schools Stony Lane and Suzanne M. Henseler Quidnessett Elementary School, most classrooms are in one giant “open” classroom, separated by dividers. Even schools with the traditional setup have some doors that only lock from the outside, posing yet another challenge.
Over the past few years, North Kingstown schools have started to lock all exterior doors into the building. During school hours, visitors can only enter the school after being buzzed in by a clerk at the main office, who monitors the doors via surveillance cameras. But, with the number of entrances into a school, the task of monitoring each entryway can be daunting.
“At the high school, you have 1,600 students and 150 staff and faculty members,” said Auger. "That’s a lot of in and out in that building.”
North Kingstown High School Principal Tom Kenworthy and his staff have been discussing a way to better control who enters the school.
“One of the things we’re really assessing following Newtown is going to a procedure where we ask people to go through the main entrance no matter what,” said Kenworthy. “We’re going to be looking at the feasibility of that.”
Another area of discussion has been adding more police officers at schools. Currently, North Kingstown High School is the only school in the district with a student resource officer (SRO). But, putting an officer at each school could be a costly endeavor.
“I like the idea, but you have to determine how effective it would be,” said Auger. “It would also be an enormous price tag for the district.”
After winter break in January, Auger says he will be meeting with every principal and Police Chief Mulligan (who visited each school this week to talk with principals) to discuss safety measures at each school.
“There’s nothing that’s going to be perfect,” said Auger. “There’s nothing that’s going to solve every problem.”
Have an idea to help improve safety? Tell us below in the comments.
In This article
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Stony Lane Elementary School
825 Stony Ln, North Kingstown, RI -
Suzanne M. Henseler Quidnessett Elementary School
166 Mark Dr, North Kingstown, RI -
North Kingstown High School
150 Fairway Dr, North Kingstown, RI
sharon malstrom
7:51 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
As much as I hate to say this,if some crazy wants to get in they will. Unless we are willing to build schools like prisons or have smaller schools and have parents patrolling the schools seems we just have to hope it don't happen here.If all schools are lockdown what would stop this same person from waiting for a play,pageant,sports event or even a field trip where security might not be as strict? I cry everytime I see the news on Newtown,I can't imagine the horror those poor babies went through and don't wish that pain and sorry on anyone.A plan to rethink children's safety is needed but unless the plan is to put a swat team in and around each school I seriously don't believe one officer could have stopped what happened.
Noreswindnk
8:01 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
There are no easy answers here. Too many doors on this barn to close. We police and lockdown schools, then what about buses? What about basketball or football games? What about graduation? Malls? Parties? Dances? Shut the front door and five others are open.
I know this will make many crazy, but this is a federal issue which will continue until we raise the roof with our congress. All guns (not just assault weapons) need to be restricited. I'm not smart enough to know what that means or how, but that's why the federal gov't has access to experts and funding to accomplish what we need as a society. I'm tired of governance by party and governance by lobby (NRA in this case). How about governance for the benefit of people, even the little ones who can't vote for you? Politicians just don't get that, do they? Is that purposeful ignorance or just outright obstinance to acknowledge that 2012 isn't 1776 and my musket isn't packed one at a time?
Scott Madison
9:08 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
People want handguns for protection, fine, that is covered in the 2nd Amendment, but legal assault rifles? Just asinine. People are not allowed to have bazookas or land mines, they should not have assault rifles either. Unfortunately, after each other massacre in history the politicians talk alot an not much gets done. And when laws do get passed there are so many loopholes written by the lobbyists, the law is a joke (Brady bill/federal assault weapons ban now expired/assault weapons ban in CT but the Bushmaster did not qualify). I am not a fan of guns, at all, and I respect the rights given to people, but there has to be reasonable and meaningful legislation. Much longer waiting periods, deeper background checks, no assault weapons of any kind, no banana or extension clips, no high caliber rounds, no gun show loopholes or semi-automatic conversion kits, get rid of the secondary market, etc.. Laws will not prevent a madman determined on murder, but maybe they will prevent the mass murder. However, unless we require them to be destroyed or turned-in the milk is already spilled with so many millions out there already (300 Million guns & 3 million Bushmasters in circulation already). There will be some change (a good start in politicians speak), but I do not have faith in our elected officials to do anything that will be enough to make a real impact or difference.
30,000 die from gun violence each year. This will happen again, do not be surprised.
NK Parent
9:46 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Agree 100%
People defending assault weapons always fall back on the "all or nothing" defense. Certainly, the proposals outlined above won't stop another event like Newtown from happening again but even if they have a small effect in lessening the chance or severity of such an event than I think it's a step the U.S. needs to take.
Hunting rifles, shotguns, handguns ... fine. I wouldn't mind beefing up the requirements to something similar to getting a car license, but I don't see all guns being taken away. Anything more deadly then that I think we need to take a hard look at why the public needs access to this stuff.
That said, gun control is only one prong of a through prevention strategy. It needs to be combined with increasing access to mental health so that the people who carry out these atrocities can either get the help they need or, if absolutely necessary, be removed from society.
Write your Senators. Write your Congresspersons. If they appear to be in the pocket of lobbyists like the NRA ... vote 'em out.
Noreswindnk
11:21 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Scott,
I'm in too. Saw a report saying as many Americans now die from guns as cars!! Terrific news. We have literally hundreds of MV laws including bi-annual inspections, and whole federal and state departments (RMV or DMV as you like), months long pre-license training, etc. Cars have MANDATORY keys. Ever seen a gun key? For most it's called putting the thing in a drawer or a cabinet. They can make car ignitions that you have to breathe into to start but we can't even put a mandatory lock on a gun?
On your spilled milk concept, if you're caught with a bazooka you go to jail. I'd say if you're caught with an assault rifle, you go to jail. It's nice to talk about, however our politicians are basically gutless unless it directly effects them and their families (see the recent senseless rejection of the disabilities act bill). I agree with NK Parent, contact congress......for your kids sake.
G. Whit
7:51 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
...and how effective is all that motor vehicle regulation and registration considering all those deaths that they cause? Not very, I'm afraid. Do you think banning alcohol is going to stop people from drinking and driving and killing? Not likely. Guns are not different and without them we are all defenseless against the crazies and the terrorists.
sharon malstrom
10:15 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
I hate to say this but if someone wants to destroy lives it doesn't have to be with a gun. He could just as easily broke a window n tossed in a bomb and blew up the whole school. Most of the ones who do this are only " strange" after the fact,most are the kid or person next door,down the street most times they aren't even someone you'd be afraid of.Its gotten to the point where you don't know who the bad guys are,how does one pick out the ones to be afraid of?
Govstench
11:29 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
All towns have a responsibility to protect children that are in their schools. I think everyone can agree to that. I think they also can also agree that police can take a more active role in this without adding more expense to the budget.
There is no question that a deterrent is needed to keep these unbalanced people out of the schools. We are dealing with an element in society that wants to make their mark in the media.
Every time we get one of these incidents, the first move always appears to be tightening the gun laws. We just had an incident in China where a deranged student went after students with a knife, stabbing many of them before being restrained by the teachers. Do we have to now enact knife laws?
I believe the reason why society doesn't want action on the assault rifle issue is because they don't trust the federal government anymore. They are afraid if they allow them to ban them, they won't stop there - they will want all guns. If you also notice that gun shops are making record sales on guns and ammunition. The National Rifle Association memberships are increasing at a rate of 8,000 plus per day!
Govstench
11:31 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
The problem with tightening gun laws is that the criminals and deranged people already have the guns and could care less about the laws. Gun laws only snare law abiding people that own them. There are also far too many of these guns in circulation for any new laws to make a difference. Remember also, anytime you ban something, you create a black market.
The discussion needs to be focused on the deterrent and how to defend these public venues, whether it is establishing police “substations” in the schools and using plain cloth police or security personnel to keep an eye on the children. School administrations will now have to include security services in their budgets and how to best protect their students. While guns are the deterrent, teachers could be approached to take gun safety courses but only voluntarily. Newtown lost six teachers. I am sure the surviving teachers wished they had a gun to defend themselves instead of cowering under a desk or a closet with their students.
Noreswindnk
7:45 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
NO, NO, NO. There are more teachers in the US than police and police are trained daily, weekly, monthly how to use guns. Teachers are trained......never. Nor should they be. They are not cops, this is not the wild west. They are trained to teach our kids. Second, 70% of teachers are women. Where you gonna put the gun champ? They aren't wearing many holsters these days. Therefore, the gun goes in the purse......right where some kid can likely find it. Then??? This is not an answer.
Gun laws only snare law abiding people is like saying we don't need auto laws because everybody breaks them anyway. Okay, go drive 100mph anywhere you want then. Laws are only for law abiding people.
Murrie (below), I hear and feel your pain but I just don't think we can protect them by putting them in jail. This isn't "expense" this is "courage" and the our congress has none. I would love to be discussing how to stop knife violence in schools right now, but it's not knifes. It's a "thing" several feet removed from a victim which permanently changes a perfect little child from beautiful into still by the simple flick of a trigger. Gutless lawmakers are as to blame as gutless shooters who commit suicide.
G. Whit
8:00 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Arming teachers in Israel has worked after similar tragedies there. True, it doesn't make any sense to arm them without training and should only be done if they are prepared and willing. Just like we let the airline pilots arm themselves after 9-11, we need to defend against this in the future. Also, need to look hard at why we have all these kids on these heavy mind altering drugs in the first place.
Govstench
8:14 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
@Noreswindnk - You missed the word "voluntarily" regarding arming teachers - GIVE THEM the opportunity to decide. Remember, it is also self defense. You also need to remember that there are female police officers and detectives who wear guns. They also wear a concealed weapon and you would never know it. If that principle had a gun when Lanza came in, she could have taken him out BEFORE any child was harmed! You can't expect to fight these people with a ruler. You need to realize that we are dealing with a violent society and the deterrent needs to be established in these schools. Enough blood has been spilled!
Concerned citizen/mother
9:15 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
I do not believe arming MORE people is the answer. Should we arm movie theater employees because a mass shooting occurred at a movie theater? Should we arm all retail store employees because a mass shooting occurred at a retail store? Should we arm employees of all sports stadiums because....you get the point hopefully. Look at global statistics of gun ownership per capita and death from guns. You will be astounded. Who needs a semi-automatic gun? When there is discussion about gun control, the NRA and their supporters go to an all or nothing argument. It doesn't need to be all or nothing. We need to ask, is there rationale for the public to have access to a semi-automatic weapon? The answer is NO. Is there rationale for the public to have access to a hunting rifle? The argument could be made YES. Let's be smart about this. We need to remember that we live in a society and a civilized society has rules. As members of a society we agree to live by rules and in turn we may have to give up some freedoms. Last I checked, this isn't the 1700's and we don't have a militia comprised of farmers and townsfolk. We have a military that does this job for our country and they are the ones trained in military weaponry. Military weaponry should have NO place on our streets, in our schools, or in the hands of ordinary citizens. Please people, let's have some common sense!
Murrie L. Hubbard III
4:26 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
No one should be so much as uttering the word "expense" when it comes to protecting our children from what happened in Newtown, CT on 12/14/1012, and if they do, then they should be totally ashamed of themselves. How much are our children and grandchildren's lives worth? Having said that, I firmly believe that our children and their teachers are now at a point where they need "Front Line Protection" moving forward, and that means a professionally trained and armed police officer just inside of the main front door of every single school in this country during all school hours. In addition, every door should be locked at all times, and there should be a marked police cruiser sitting right outside of the school building. If you really want to protect them, this is the first thing that needs to take place, and should've begun this past Monday morning everywhere. Yes, mental health and gun control are the other significant pieces of this problem, but they will take a lot of time to address and to make a difference. Well folks, we've run out of time, so the first priority has to be "protection" from here forward. There is always another nutjob out there waiting in the wings, and it's not a question of "if" it will happen again, it's "when and where." A marked police cruiser sitting out in front of Sandy Hook School in Newtown, CT last Friday, coupled with an armed police officer inside that front door, more than likely would have made all the difference in the world.
Tired of NK antics
10:03 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
A) The psychotic murderer at Sandy Hook did not enter through the front door. He broke in. An armed guard at the front door would not have prevented that.
B) Since Columbine, all NK schools front doors are locked with a buzzer system. Nobody can just waltz in after school is in session.
C) Crazy people do not succumb to logic.
Murrie L. Hubbard III
11:33 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
To "Tired of NK Antics": I stand by everything that I said. Yes, a professionally trained police officer on his game more than likely would have prevented what happened in Newtown last week, or at the very least held him at bay until reinforcements arrived. He/She would've been calling for back up on their portable radio, and would've been immediately engaging the perp with armed force. I agree that "crazy people do not succomb to logic", and at the same time, they are not trained police or military carrying this out. In other words, they want to slaughter innocent, unarmed people, and are not prepared to take on an armed person who knows what they're doing. Take that monster last week, for instance, the minute he spied the 2 Newtown police officer running into the buidling, he immediately ducked into a classroom and blew his brains out. They are nothing but COWARDS! So, I say it again, if there had been a marked police crusier sitting out in front of that school last Friday, and if there had been a professionally trained and armed police officer just inside that door, this would either not have happened, at least at that location anyway, or in a perfect world, the perp would've been taken out by the police officer. If you had ever been a police officer, I'd be very surprised...
Tired of NK antics
4:09 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
Never said I am or was a police officer so I do not know where your gleaned that from, and quite frankly that has nothing to do with it. I am not sure I want a "retired" anyone there in charge of protecting children. Reaction times slow with age.
concerned
9:40 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Instead of police officers, how about putting vets that need jobs! there are a lot of them out there.
Govstench
8:22 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
Veterans are an excellent resource for protecting the schools. Some of the finest police officers come from the military! One thing I will continue to stress, we don't need to have a uniformed officers in the schools - plain cloths or even working attire to blend in with the population is recommended. You don't want to disturb the learning atmosphere of the schools. The kids will equate a policeman with the incident in CT. The police departments know how to handle this - maintain a low profile at all times. The assurance is they are there for protection - no attention should be made to them constantly to the children but be made to the parents and the media.
Perhaps law enforcement needs to educate the parents and keep the lines of communications open - they do have a community relations officer that handles that.
Murrie L. Hubbard III
11:35 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
Uniformed or palin clothes, makes no difference to me, but this needs to be implemented immediately. I hope that everyone out there realizes that it's only a matter of time before it happens again. This guy wasn't the only kook out there; we have them in every city and town in this country. And all too many of them just want to "best" the last one...
Murrie L. Hubbard III
9:03 am on Sunday, December 23, 2012
"Antics": I removed my reactive comments to you as well. Of course, I have no idea if you took yours down yourself, or the Patch did it for you... I'm almost postive I know who you are, and I'd just love to have an in-person discussion with you one of these days. You obviously know me, or at least you're familiar with me, and have something personal against me. The only thing is, if you really knew me and/or what happened to me in the past, you would've never said the things you did. You were way off base, and you were very unfair...