By Kyle Koeppen

It is hard not to run terrifying scenarios in your head after hearing/seeing the horrific event which unfolded at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. An 18-year-old gunman shot and killed 19 children and two adults at an elementary school. According to the publishing company Education Week, this was the twenty-seventh school shooting this year in our country. Like many of you, I instantly start asking questions in my head. What if this was our school? What can we do to stop events like this from happening? Why do people choose to do this at schools? My four boys are in the school buildings every day. My wife and I are in the school buildings every day. I am motivated greatly to make sure an event like the Uvalde, Texas shooting does not occur.

First, I would like to share what we already do at Vinton-Shellsburg Community Schools to deter events like this from happening. Each school building has one point of entry once the school day begins. This entry is equipped with a remote unlock system controlled by the building secretary. If the visitor is permitted entry, the door is unlocked remotely by pressing a button on the secretary's desk. The primary security functions of a door entry system are to deter criminals, enforce access control, and keep out unwanted guests. Once the guest enters the office, we require them to register with our visitor management system. This system helps to identify threats before they gain access to the students by running instant sex offender and criminal background checks, and track visitor activity in real-time with alerts and notifications to school personnel. The system prints a color-coded badge which helps easily identify who a visitor is and that they have checked into the office.

Our school district also employs a school resource officer who is on campus and is available for any one of our school building sites that needs him. Mr. West, our school resource officer, assists the school administration in maintaining a safe and secure environment. School administrators benefit from Mr. West's specific training, knowledge, and experience in handling situations. Mr. West provides a highly visible presence to deter or identify trespassers on campus.

The school district has a School Emergency Operations Plan, which was corrected in collaboration with district personnel, county emergency management, fire, law enforcement, and other community partners. This plan provides guidance for response to likely threats and hazards identified by the planning team in an all-hazards approach.

The Vinton-Shellsburg School District has made a commitment to developing the whole child. The whole-child approach to teaching supports and nurtures all areas of children's development and learning from social-emotional and cognitive skills to literacy, math, and science understanding. For example, our elementary classrooms adopted the Caring School Community curriculum this past school year. This is a comprehensive, research-based social and emotional learning program that builds school-wide community, develops students' social skills and social competencies, and enables a clear stance on discipline. In addition to this curriculum adoption, this past school year, the school district entered a partnership with Therapeutic Innovations, a local mental and behavioral health provider to offer integrated mental health treatment for children and adolescents. School-Based Therapists work within all of our schools, helping students overcome behavioral, emotional or social problems that interfere with success at school and at home.

The school district is a key partner and fiscal agent for The Benton County Above the Influence Coalition which is a group of local residents and professionals who have come together for a common goal - the prevention of substance abuse among youth in our county.

Not only do our schools provide excellent academics, but they are also a conduit for a variety of support and services. Quality schools are vital for quality communities! The gunman at the Uvalde, Texas school shooting was a school dropout. The Vinton-Shellsburg School District provides a variety of pathways for students. In addition to our traditional school, we operate a robust homeschool program, virtual course options, and an alternative high school. Our country must keep working to make education a priority in our society. Funding our schools appropriately to be able to offer the aforementioned services. Nelson Mandela said it best "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world."

What else can we do to help prevent these events from happening?

Watch for the signs. America's mental health crisis began long before the coronavirus pandemic did, but a year and a half of loss, stress, isolation and treatment disruption has only increased the number of Americans struggling with their mental health. Even if you don't entirely understand what your someone is going through, you can still be there for them in a healthy, supportive way. Listen to them without judgment and make sure they know they're not alone. Reach out for help if needed. Many people turn to social media to share their internal thoughts and feelings. If you see something irregular, say something. The Uvalde, Texas gunman posted to his social media the horrific steps he was taking that day. Communication is a powerful tool and can help prevent incidents from occurring.

Provide more training, education and regulation for gun users/owners. I am proud of the work our group of volunteer coaches put into our school trap team, The Red Cedar Shooters. I would like to use the trap team as an example of training, education and regulation. All student athletes are required to complete and submit certificates for either one of two League-approved firearm safety certification programs - a state-approved hunter education certificate or the League's SAFE Certification. Either option requires the firearm safety certification information to be documented in Athlete Management System (AMS) before the athlete can participate in any shooting activities with the team. Safe and responsible handling and storage of firearms and ammunition is the first priority. I am confident our student athletes who participate in trap are properly trained and educated. My wish is that anyone who would like to purchase their own gun have the same required training, education and regulation which is expected of our students in addition to a mandatory screening of criminal history, just like is required to enter our school buildings as a volunteer. The issue needs to be more than a local, or state expectation. Our state borders are open and a common expectation around gun regulation needs to be established across the country. Proactive, required training, education and regulation will help in deterring criminally minded individuals from purchasing guns easily. I know accessing illegal guns on the black market will still be occurring and law enforcement agencies are working to stop that side of the gun issue. The Uvalde, Texas gunman purchased two guns legally recently which were used in the shooting. I can not say for certain if a required training and class with certification would have stopped the shooting. But, I do know he would have had to think it through while in training and have certified trainers evaluate his mental capacity to sign off on his certificate to purchase a gun.

The combination of all the aforementioned actions are needed to help keep our communities and schools a safe place to learn and work. I think there are additional measures which could be taken, but these are what I believe to be the most simple and bipartisan measures to take quickly. Actions speak louder than words and we are in a place in time where action is needed.


Comments

Submit a Comment

Please refresh the page to leave Comment.

Still seeing this message? Press Ctrl + F5 to do a "Hard Refresh".

BK May 31, 2022, 11:23 am The real trick here is to actually do what you say. I am sure if we look through the operating procedures at the Texas school the procedure is written that ensures doors are lock and the entries are controlled. The school's police department had just conducted an active shooter training within the past month. They also seemed to have a full response team available for quite some time before an off-duty boarder agent made entry and killed the shooter. And, I'm confident the school knew this young man was "troubled". So . . . what was the problem?? Was it guns??? Or was it that regardless of procedures the door was propped open? Was it guns??? Or was it an unwillingness to confront an armed shooter because an officer might have been killed??? In our school's case I know, personally that you walk the walk. In fact I have helped train your resource officer from time to time. Sadly, there are many, many, many schools that do not walk the walk. It's not now, and never has been the guns. It's simply . . . do your job.