Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple announced he had extra deputies and school resource officers (SRO) at schools in the days following the school shooting in Uvalde, TX.

Green Island's Heatly Schools was one of those districts.

Sheriff Apple said he added a second SRO on Wednesday, to help students, teachers, and parents feel comfortable.

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The Sheriff said the Green Island Union Free School District added its first SRO in the winter, as the district was seeing an increase in violent fights.

“These SROs are more than an armed security person. They're a person that can build a friendship with the kids, they can see the kids, or hear the stories of the kids if they’re being bullied. And maybe befriend that kid, bring them in, and see if there’s any issues going on a before something horrible happens." Sheriff Apple said.

The Green Island Superintendent Kimberly Ross sent a letter to parents and posted on the district website saying in part

We understand traumatic events such as these may evoke many emotions in our students, including questions about their safety both in and outside of school. In addition, students may have difficulty processing such violent acts, especially given the short period of time between both shootings. Heatly is here to support our students and families with a number of resources. School counselors Jessica Jones and Theresa Smigelski and school social worker Alyssa Lupinski are here to support students and families. An additional officer from the Albany County Sheriff’s Department will also be at Heatly for the next few days to support students and make them feel safe.