New safety procedures addressed at New Hanover County Schools Summit
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — In light of the school shootings, parents in New Hanover County are worried and want safety.
“I think safety is paramount right now. I’m terrified sending my kids to school, I have to tell you. Every new school shooting just makes me want to home school them,” parent Angel Pia said.
These concerns are the reason the New Hanover County School District hosted a safety summit at the Minnie Evans Performing Arts Center.
“We felt that it was important heading back into the school year that we let parents know that we’ve made improvements, that we’ve listened to some of their input and to give them an update on what some of those changes are safety wise coming into the new year,” New Hanover County Superintendent Tim Markley said.
Some parents just want to bring a lesson back to their kids.
“A lot of what I learn here I would, I would like to share with my first grader so that he’s also prepared in case there is an emergency. I know that they’re going to talk with him about it at school, but I also want to make sure that he is getting a little more reinforcement of that at home,” parent Jessica Kelwaski said.
The summit addressed things like mental health counseling, bullying, internet safety and school shootings. New Hanover County SRO’s were at the summit and expressed the work they’ve done to be at the ready.
“With an SRO in the school, you’ve got first responders on the scene immediately. So, having them on the scene and properly trained to handle the situation is imperative,” New Hanover County SRO Unite Commander Lt. Jason Augst said.
But despite these preparations, some parents still feel uneasy.
“We need to make sure that there’s action not just words And honestly I’m so tired of hearing thoughts and prayers. I want to make sure that there’s steps in place, procedures in place and everybody’s on the same page,” Pia said.
Superintendent Markley informed parents that they are increasing their mental health services at the schools and more SRO’s will be at the schools.
