As state legislators make their rounds across the Commonwealth to research school safety, Speaker of the House Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights) visited Colonial Heights High School (CHHS) to speak to school administrators and local law enforcement officers about the security measures put into place in the area school division. As chairman of the Select Committee On School Safety, formed in the General Assembly after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, he will guide the officially body to review state and local policy regarding safety in Virginia schools and provide recommendations for the 2019 General Assembly session.
Speaker Cox met with Colonial Heights School Board members Mike Yates and Angie Woody, Superintendent Joseph Cox, and CHHS Principal Kristen Janssen, all of whom showed him some of the newly-placed security features at the school. His visit comes just a few days after delegates, Lashrecse Aird (D-Petersburg), Riley Ingram (R-Hopewell) and Luke Torian (D-Prince William), visited Hopewell High School and Petersburg High School to learn about safety procedures and respond to concerns at those schools, according to a report from The Progress-Index.
“For a lot of schools this size, they do some really smart things,” he said. “So what we’re hoping to do is learn about those things from each school system.”
At CHHS, the front door to the building is manned during school hours by someone at a security desk where any visitor must be let into the building by signing in at the desk and then given an identification sticker. Moreover, staff and students also have identification cards, meaning everyone in the building is accounted for.
Cameras dot the hallways throughout numerous points in the school, all of which are monitored by staff members.
Several “panic buttons” have also been installed in various spots around the school. In an emergency, a student, teacher, or staff member can press the button and a distress call is sent directly to the Colonial Heights Police Department.
Along with the security additions, each school in Colonial Heights is staffed with an armed school resource officer (SRO). Sargent Renee Walters, who is in charge of area SROs, says that they will team up with local law enforcement officers to conduct checks outside school buildings while classes are in session to make sure everyone inside is safe.
CHHS has also hired a psychiatrist. Officials claim the new addition will add an extra layer of security that can address issues with violence stemming from problems with mental health.
“As times change, we’re not just concerned about [the students] safety at schools, but we’re concerned about their safety at home as well,” said Walters.
The school’s administrators also explained that the big difference between their school and others is the very strong relationship they have with the local police department. Furthermore, Janssen said that the local government and the School Board has been instrumental in funding the security measures CHHS boasts.
As he walked through the hallways, Speaker Cox noted the small, yet significant measures that have been put into place. “I think they thought of a lot of small details,” he said. “I love the committee process they have of making sure all the staff has input.”
“They’ve done a great combination of keeping a secure, safe campus, and still making sure it’s a campus,” he explained, claiming the efforts taken are “impressive.” The speaker also noted, “It’s still a place where students feel like they’re at home, but it’s not onerous, and you don’t feel weighed down.”
Though, funding is still the top issue with making sure Virginia school are able to be properly equipped when deals with potential threats.
“From a principal’s perspective,” Janssen explained, “money still needs to be available to schools so we can continue to have a safe and secure environment for our kids.”
Speaker Cox explained that the Select Committee on School Safety is looking into grant programs that school districts can apply for. He explained that they would allow schools to enact more tailored-made security measures that could be slightly different at each school.
“The grant process seems to work well,” he said. “For [Colonial Heights] a certain thing may work, but for a Northern Virginia school, they might want to go in another direction.”
