Lacey Superintendent Addresses School Shooting Concerns

A Letter to the Editor from Lacey Township Schools Superintendent Craig Wigley

The emotions we all share and the concerns we all express for the students and their families suffering at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland Florida, draw us closer together as a community and as a nation. The Lacey Township School District Board of Education and I, along with the entire Lacey family of parents, teachers, students, support staff, and friends, extend our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to these families as they cope with their unimaginable grief.

Lacey’s school administration, faculty, and staff recognize how precious your children are and we are honored and grateful to have the opportunity to work with them every day at our six schools. In fact, during these most difficult times of grief, it has been the children, your children, that have demonstrated strength and compassion. It is their positive spirit, kindness, and energy that helps us all resume our daily activities and routines.

Please be assured that the Board of Education and this administration and faculty will continue to take proactive steps to ensure the safety and well being of your children each day. We are fortunate to have local law enforcement officials that place the safety and security of our students in the highest priority.

As our school administrators continue to review and assess School Safety and Security Plans in cooperation with our local officials and county support teams, we will continue to implement ‘incremental’ enhancements to our security protocols across the district. Time will not pass that we do not continually improve our technologies, facilities, and our responsive safety strategies.

It is important to understand that we want to partner with all parents in this effort to improve safety and security in our schools and in our community. For this, we ask that adults reinforce with their children just how important it is that your child reports anything observed as suspicious or out of the ordinary.

Furthermore, help us keep your children safe by updating student contact information including cell phones, having photo identification whenever visiting a school, and reporting any suspicious activities to the school or the police.

You and your family may be feeling a wide range of emotions at this time, as we have yet experienced another school shooting. So that you may better assist your children through this most difficult time, we are providing timely information on our district website www.laceyschools.org and encourage all to take few moments to view the very informative information posted. Furthermore, please consider calling your child's counselor if your child needs additional support and encourage your child to share concerns with his or her counselor.

Let us all take a few moments to reflect on all that is good in the world and when our school doors open each day, let us find comfort in the knowledge that together, educators and parents will be prepared to continue to provide excellence in education and caring for one another. This is the family standard we have all come to know here in Lacey Schools.

Sincerely,
Mr. Craig Wigley