District 5: School Safety a Top Priority

After the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Friday, school safety has crossed the minds of many parents across the country. 

School officials in the Midlands have assured parents and guardians that student safety is a top priority.

"This is something we took seriously before (the Sandy Hook shooting in) Connecticut," said Mark Bounds, Lexington-Richland 5's public information officer. "This is our No. 1 priority, keeping kids safe in (our) schools."

District 5, like many school districts in the nation, participate in lockdown drills. School officials also review school security and crisis plans in partnership with local law enforcement agencies.

Bounds said he didn't want to disclose specifics of the district's security plans in an effort to protect the procedures from potential threats. 

The district recently finished a complete safety and security check of the district, Bounds said. 

There are school resource officers (SROs) at all of the district's high schools. While there are no permanent SROs at the elementary and middle schools, the sheriff's departments in Lexington and Richland counties as well as the Irmo Police Department all provide coverage of the schools, he said. 

All schools in the district have the LobbyGuard visitor management system, which requires visitors to scan their drivers license before entering the school halls. 

In Newberry County, Sheriff Lee Foster and Superintendent Bennie Bennett released a joint statement Monday assuring parents and the public that the two agencies continue to partner on school safety. 

Students in Newberry County returned to school Monday while District 5 has already started its winter break. 

“We have long understood that you cannot have Homeland Security without Home Town Security,” Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said. “These events shock us to our very core because the attacker uses the thing we hold dear, our children, and a place we desire to feel safe, our schools, to create the greatest possible shock factor possible. We have joined forces with the School District, Law Enforcement, and Public Safety to say we are united in our love for our children and our commitment to keep them safe in every way possible.” 

School resource officers are stationed at each high school and middle school in the county, and those officers respond to the other campuses when needed, according to the release.

“It is impossible for our children to be educated, if they fear for their safety,” Superintendent Bennie Bennett said in the release. “Our desire is to create an environment where every child has the potential to be successful and we understand that having a comprehensive safety plan that includes recognition of warning signs, controlling environmental factors like access points to the school, and planning our response to such an incident are absolutely a critical portion of creating that successful environment.” 

Newberry Couty schools and law enforcement also participate in lockdown drills at least once a year. The police department conducts drills where officers simulate responding to an active shooter in the school environment.

There's also a comprehensive response plan in place and there are trainings conducted by law enforcement. 

Read more:

• Connecticut School Shooting: How to Discuss with Your Children
• Elementary School Shooting: How You Can Help
• President Obama Speaks on CT School Shooting
• School Shooting Rocks Journalist-Mom's Foundation
• Resources for Schools to Prepare for and Recover from Crisis