Locally after Uvalde shooting: Counselors for students, more patrols, thoughts, prayers

Washington County Public Schools has grief counselors ready to help students struggling after the massive school shooting Tuesday at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Local law enforcement is stepping up their presence in schools in hopes of assuring students they are safe.

One local parent demanded political leaders provide protection for school children.

And educators in Washington County and Franklin County, Pa., said they continue to keep student safety top of mind while trying to find ways to prevent tragedy locally.

A gunman killed 19 children at the elementary school Tuesday near San Antonio in the deadliest shooting at a U.S. grade school since the 2012 attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

Wearing body armor and firing hundreds of rounds, the 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two adults, Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Chris Olivarez said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said one of the two was a teacher. A U.S. Border Protection agent, one of several responding to the scene, shot and killed the gunman, a senior Department of Homeland Security official told USA TODAY on Tuesday night.

Washington County Public Schools reacts

Superintendent Boyd Michael posted the following statement on the Washington County Public Schools' Facebook page.

"This hits home in an unimaginable way for our families, students, and school staff members," Michael posted Tuesday.

"Our school counselors will be prepared to help our students who are struggling with the reality of these senseless acts of violence," he wrote. "I ask everyone in our greater community to play an active role in keeping our schools safe. If you see something, please say something.

"Assure your children that they can bring any concern to school administrators or staff, a school resource officer, a trusted adult," he said. "My thoughts and prayers are with all of those whose lives are now forever changed."

The deadly shooting was also mentioned at Tuesday night's business meeting of the Washington County Board of Education.

"Today of all days we're reminded of student safety," Neil Becker, president of the Washington County Teachers Association, said. "It's paramount … that our school systems are safe and we're doing everything we can.

"As a community we need to get together and stem this kind of violence, whether it's a small little knuckle fight in a school or a massive shooting," he said. "We must stem this plague that is ruining our nation."

Pennsylvania school districts respond

For Tuscarora School District, which has about 2,300 students in the Mercersburg area of Franklin County, Superintendent Rodney Benedict told The Herald-Mail in an interview that safety measures among the county's six school districts have been in place and upgraded since at least the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado.

Franklin County schools have a safety committee in which the school districts discuss what the training and protocols in place and what might be needed.

“The sad reality of it is, we’ve been through so many of these things that we always evaluate and try to make our system better,” Benedict said.

He added that at the same time, there needs to be a balance between increasing security measures and allowing students to have a normal experience. 

“We want to be as secure as possible, but also have normal educational opportunities as much as possible,” he said.

Over the years, the district has increased security, created emergency plans and updated its building level safety plans, but nothing is being changed in response to the most recent shooting, Benedict said. He added that the district has connected with administrators, teachers, teaching staff and law enforcement since the shooting. 

It’s the final days of the school year for the Tuscarora and most schools in the area. Benedict said the district hasn’t had a normal end of school in the past couple of years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I look outside my window and see kids at recess and the joy that comes with that,” Benedict said. “It’s less supervised than it would be in a classroom setting. But that has to happen, right? You have to make sure that kids can do those things because there’s value in that.”

In Waynesboro, Pa., school security has been at the top of the list for Tod Kline, superintendent of Waynesboro Area School District. 

"We have been proactive this whole time, we plan and reassess on an ongoing basis," Kline said of school security. "We have a safety and security group that meets on a regular basis and discusses how we would deal with a threat." 

WASD has a full-time police officer who responds to incidents within the district schools and properties. 

"We are also looking at hiring an additional school resource officer with some federal funding that is available," Kline said. "That position will also most likely be full time."

In planning to keep students and faculty safe, Kline said that active shooter drills are carried out during the year, and the district will continue to do them.

"Safety and security are at the top of our list, and no school is impervious to a breach of some sort, but we have a continuing process of reviewing drills, and we have strong relationships with local police departments," Kline said. "A lot of schools are reactive, but I think a lot more of them are becoming proactive to keep our kids safe."

Kline said that counseling services and social workers are available to students.

"They are always available," he said. "The kids all have counselors that they can always talk to and we also have a partnerships with other agencies to have people available in needed." 

Chambersburg Area School District Superintendent Dion Betts told The Herald-Mail in an emailed statement that the district with more than 9,400 students offered its "deepest heartfelt condolences to the families of those senselessly killed and injured in the shooting."

"Words cannot express the profound sadness that we share with those who have lost so much," Betts wrote. "On behalf of our students, staff and community, our thoughts and prayers are with each family affected by this tragedy."

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Local police step up presence

"Our hearts go out to the Uvalde, Texas community this evening where a mass shooting occurred at Robb Elementary School," the Hagerstown Police Department posted on its Facebook page. 

"… We will have extra police presence at our schools (May 25) out of an abundance of caution," the posting reads. "There are no rumored or confirmed threats at any of our schools, but we will be present to reassure students, parents and staff.

"As always we ask that if you see something, say something," the posted stated. "If something seems off, trust your instinct and notify your police jurisdiction. We can be reached at crimetip@hagerstownpd.org, or in case of an immediate emergency dial 911."

The Washington County Sheriff's Office is also stepping up its presence in schools.

"School safety is a top priority for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office," Sgt. Carly Hose, spokesperson for the sheriff's office, wrote in an email. "We understand the flood of emotions that students, staff and parents must be feeling as a result of the tragedy which occurred in Texas yesterday.

"In an effort to provide extra support to our school community, the Sheriff’s Office will have an increased police presence at our local schools," she said.

Parent reaction

"Prayers and healing thoughts are not enough," posted Erin Alisa Long of Maugansville, on the WCPS Facebook page. "You are these children's voice. We demand protection for our children." 

A mother of three boys, Long gave permission for The Herald-Mail to use her comment. Long has two boys, one in first grade and one in fifth who attend Maugansville Elementary School.

"I also tried leaving a comment for Governor Larry Hogan too," she said in a later message. "I hope getting (the) word out and demanding answers (will) get some policies put into place to protect the kids."

Resources

Safe Schools Maryland is an anonymous and free reporting system for reporting school or student safety concerns operated by the Maryland Center for School Safety.

It is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. Tips can be reported by calling 1-833-632-7233 or by visiting schoolsafety.maryland.gov.

Herald-Mail staff writer Michael Garcia and Waynesboro Record Herald staff writer John Irwin contributed to this story.

Sherry Greenfield is the Education Reporter, covering Washington County Public Schools and the Washington County Board of Education.