Hollister
– The recent rash of school shootings in rural communities may
have local parents feeling uneasy when they drop off their children
for school in the morning. While no one can predict where or when
such a tragedy will occur, local school and law enforcement
officials say that several steps are in p
lace to minimize danger to students.
Hollister – The recent rash of school shootings in rural communities may have local parents feeling uneasy when they drop off their children for school in the morning. While no one can predict where or when such a tragedy will occur, local school and law enforcement officials say that several steps are in place to minimize danger to students.
“You have to always be aware that any school is vulnerable, but there are always procedures in place, as well,” Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller said.
Both Hollister and San Benito High School Districts hold annual drills to prepare students and teachers for what might happen if, for example, an intruder with a gun comes on campus, or if a chemical attack takes place, as well as standard earthquake and fire drills.
The goal of a fire or quake drill is to get all students and staff out of the buildings and away from danger as soon as possible and in an orderly fashion. Drills for a shooter or chemical attack, on the other hand, are designed to keep students and staff locked in the relative safety of a classroom or office. Students are instructed to shield their bodies and keep away from the windows, and no one is allowed in or out of the classrooms.
“The kids do really well,” said Duane Morgan, one of three assistant principals at San Benito High School. Morgan is responsible for student safety, among other duties. “Ninety-nine percent of them don’t want to be at the mercy of one of these guys. …. They want to know what to do.”
The school also invested in “disaster preparedness boxes” this year, that are to be distributed among the staff in case of an emergency. Not only do the boxes have first aid kits and instructions, but also lists of students, their schedules and blueprints of the entire campus.
“Safety is a big focus for us, because (the school is) so large and accessible from the street,” Morgan said. “But we want to keep it positive. … We don’t want to be one of those schools with metal detectors at the gate.”
The district and state set disaster preparedness standards that all schools all follow in case the unthinkable happens.
“Every school and the district office has a safety plan, and we schedule drills about once a year,” said Peter Gutierrez, HSD’s assistant superintendent. “An announcement goes over the PA system that it’s code red or code blue, and we get everybody including the visitors inside and lock the doors.”
Of course, local police would be the first on the scene of such an event, and help from Santa Clara, Monterey or Santa Cruz counties would also be dispatched to help keep the situation under control, Miller said. The HPD is currently forming a SWAT team that would be particularly useful if a sniper were to make his way onto campus, but that is subject to funding concerns and an active ready-to-go team is still “months away,” Miller said.
When asked, most school officials could not immediately recall the last major safety scare educators had to deal with. Miller said the closest thing that comes to mind is a situation in the winter of 2005 at Calaveras School. Two fathers began fighting during the school holiday pageant, one of whom had a gun, and the school immediately went into lockdown mode.
“It went very well and the parents cooperated in full,” Miller said.
While the violence in the news certainly makes school officials more aware of how important safety measures on campus are, students for their part seem mostly unaffected.
“I suppose it’s possible somebody could come onto campus if they really wanted to. I know they’ve been talking about building a fence and that might help,” said Taryn Thompson, an SBHS sophomore. “But really I feel pretty safe. It’s a small town and everybody knows everyone.”
Though school shootings are the stuff of nightmares, officials are also quick to remind locals that tragedy can be much less sensational.
“We still have a gang problem in this community, we still have traffic problems, and it seems like every year we’re losing kids in drunk driving accidents,” Miller said. “I don’t mean to mitigate the tragedy of what is happening in these schools, but the community safety problems pose a much more imminent danger. The best thing we can do is work as a community to be aware of that.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
