Superintendent addresses school safety

Madison County’s school superintendent has posted a letter on the school system website to address parents’ concerns following last week’s shooting at a Connecticut elementary school.

“As a parent of a fourth grader in our system, I fully share the concerns expressed and understand the fear many parents feel as a result of this incident,” wrote Madison County School Superintendent Dr. Allen McCannon.

A 20-year-old gunman forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, Friday morning and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children.

McCannon said that he has received numerous inquiries from concerned parents about the Madison County School System’s safety policies.

“Parents are demanding to know what safety/security issues are in place,” he said.

McCannon’s letter spells out the schools’ recent safety actions. He said the school system started revising its individual school safety plans in the spring of 2011. He noted that Georgia’s School Safety Law requires every school to develop a safety plan to “help curb the growing violence in schools, to respond effectively to such incidents, and to provide a safe learning environment for children, teachers and other personnel.”

Several parents and students were asked to participate, along with representatives from the sheriff’s office, emergency (ambulance) services, 911, local fire departments and school nursing program.

The school system worked with the sheriff’s department to conduct a “mock shooting drill” at the high school in June.