Security on campus was a big question at Chapman Elementary over the last 48 hours. This follows a shooting at Wallace Park right next to the school.
Portland police said someone shot and killed a 26-year-old woman there on Friday. Then on Monday, Portland Public Schools told KATU it decided to add security to the Chapman Elementary School staff.
KATU followed up with several questions, asking how the district determined the need for security and what that would look like.
The district's media team responded with a statement on Tuesday saying, "It is our primary responsibility to ensure schools are safe, stable environments. After further investigation, it appears that the situation was an isolated incident. PPS has determined that increased security at Chapman is not necessary at this time."
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When it comes to the conversation of school security, parents in Northwest Portland had mixed feelings.
"I just don’t know. Some parents might be like, 'Oh, that’s great.' Others will be like, 'Well, what are they doing?' You can’t please everybody. So, I think it’s a great added thing to have, but it’s a conversation to have with the parents and also with the administrators, and what does that look like?" Ruth Velez said.
Velez is one of several parents who said she's considered a move out of the area, but after relocating from Salem, the parent said that logistically isn't easy.
"Where do we go? Housing is so short, and there’s nothing there. What do we do? I’ve thought about private tutoring or schooling or doing home-schooling. I tried that during COVID, and that was not great," Velez said.
KATU also heard from families who said they recognize living in a city comes with challenges. Others said, compared to neighborhoods like North Portland, they're happy with the level of safety around Chapman Elementary.