Nine Mile district addresses security issues
Six weeks after a student killed himself at Lakeside High School with a gun, 150 teachers, parents and students gathered to talk about school safety issues.
Michael Green, Nine Mile Falls School District superintendent, stood on stage in the middle school auditorium Thursday night.
He said a characteristic of safe schools is a willingness to talk about safety issues, and resisting the urge to hide dirty laundry.
“That does not lead to a resolution of the problem,” Green said.
Thursday’s meeting was overdue for at least one parent.
“It’s been needed for a long time,” said Wendy Folsom, whose daughter attends the high school.
Everyone was broken into four smaller groups so participants could discuss what’s working in the schools and what isn’t.
Overall, comments praised the schools’ environment while adding that communication needs to be improved between staff, parents and students.
As a practice now, the district uses a drug- and gun-sniffing dog in the halls several times a year.
When a major safety incident occurs, like the Dec. 10 suicide, all the schools are locked down.
Some parents expressed concern over the fear generated in the younger children, some of whom were visibly shaken when they were sent home on a school bus hours later.
While they were never in any danger, the kids didn’t know that for hours, a parent said.
Another parent suggested the district hire a communications person who could talk to the media and address parents’ questions.
While there were suggestions of adding more searches and adding a student-resource officer in the schools, one parent said the district over-uses lockdowns.
Students have come to believe that every high school lockdown is simply another drug-dog search, Folsom said.
Two students from the district’s alternative high school shared stories of feeling bullied and harassed before leaving Lakeside High.
Lacey Albin, 18, said insults were spray-painted outside her home. When she tried to tell district officials about it, she said she felt ignored.
“They like to ignore these things,” said Tristan Williams, 18
All the evening’s comments will go to committees working to improve the schools.
Coming in May, the district will ask the community to support a capital bond that includes remodeling the schools to improve security.
On Feb. 10 at Lakeside Middle School, Sue Eastgard, Seattle-based director of the Youth Suicide Prevention Program, will present a workshop called, “Stopping Teen Suicide: A workshop for parents.”
It’s a timely topic: On Saturday, another Lakeside High student committed suicide in a home.
“There’s been a lot of grief this year,” Folsom said.