Arkansas District to Add Safety Measures Following Campus Shooting
Prescott School District plans to add additional safety and security measures following last Monday’s on-campus shooting.
- By Jessica Davis
- April 08, 2019
Prescott School District plans to add additional safety and security measures following last Monday’s on-campus shooting, officials said.
According to Prescott School District Superintendent Robert Poole, district staff followed protocol in its efforts to keep students safe following the April 1 shooting of one 14-year-old student by another 14-year-old student in a hallway of Prescott High School.
The shooting took place shortly before 9:15 a.m. According to officials, the suspect brought a concealed handgun to campus and shot the other student inside the high school building, and officers recovered the gun from a bush in front of the school.
The district went into lockdown immediately following the shooting, and students were released from campus later that day. Counselors were available on campus Tuesday to speak to students as needed.
"There's a lot of things we're working on, and we want to let you know as a community we are on top of things," Poole said. "School security and student safety is the No. 1 priority of our school district right now. We are always welcome and open to suggestions you may have."
Poole told parents and community members Wednesday that the safety measures being added by the district will include a new phone app that parents and students can use to anonymously report any concerns, including bullying and threats. The app will be ready within a few weeks, Poole said.
"You can notify the school anytime of a bullying situation, a threat, any type of thing that you think the school needs to know about," Poole said. "It gives notification to the superintendent, administrator. We get that information and we immediately look into that information. A lot of times you see things that we don't see. You know things that we don't know. We need your help. A lot of things can be prevented by being proactive."
The district is also considering adding a third resource officer and, with sufficient funding, the addition of reinforced doors at the elementary, old gym and high school buildings.
"This will make sure we lock down any school building we have in a matter of seconds," Poole said. "Time is precious when you're in a lockdown situation, and you have a school shooting response situation. With your help, we can make sure that's possible."
In about two weeks, the district will also receive two-way radios for school buses and offices.
Poole told parents to use the district’s notification center to stay on top of emergency events such as Monday’s school lockdown.
"We need your trust to make sure you do what we need you to do in these situations," Poole said.
About the Author
Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.