the superintendent’s corner

Keeping students safe is our first priority at KCS

We have had a great start to this school year, with students and staff enjoying the excitement of learning. Along with this excitement, a new year also provides an opportunity to reflect on priorities and ensure we are putting first things first.

Something has been on my mind, and on many minds since the end of the last school year: Student safety. Many would say education is the first goal of a school district, but I disagree. Keeping students safe is our first priority.

You probably noticed entrances to KCS buildings remain locked when you wait to be buzzed in. This is a crucial step, but there is more happening that I want to share with you.

In addition to our four school counselors, in partnership with Health Partners of Western Ohio we now have three full-time Behavioral Health Counselors and one social worker dedicated to serving our students. Staff members across the district also have received Mental Health First Aid Training and Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training to support students when they need it most.

Planning and mental health resources are important, but sometimes we may need to do even more to keep students safe in the event of an emergency. We’ve done some work there, too.

We provide active threat training each summer for new staff, and we conduct multiple drills with students and staff each school year. We added more classroom and pod lockdown devices and upgraded our electronic security and communications systems. We implemented the Safe Ohio School Tip Line for students and staff to report suspicious activity on campus. We also instituted another safety measure this summer when the Ohio Attorney General’s office trained our Threat Assessment Teams. The purpose of these teams is to look into any potential threats to student safety and act accordingly.

Finally, the Kenton City School District Board of Education is considering the creation of a Rapid Response Team. This team would be an added security layer in the event of an active shooter situation. House Bill 99, which was signed into law by the Governor earlier this year, directs the Ohio Department of Public Safety to create a Safety and Crisis Division to train law enforcement officers and properly authorized school staff members to convey and possess deadly weapons in a school safety zone. School Resource Officers continue to be our best resource in response to these threats, but they cannot be everywhere at all times. Response time is critical because most school and other mass shooting crises end within five minutes. Since time is of the essence to minimize casualties, both Hardin County Sheriff Keith Everhart and Kenton Police Chief Dennis Musser have encouraged the district to pursue this initiative.

If the board chooses to create a Rapid Response Team, the team will consist of a specific group of properly trained and qualified staff members who would provide additional protection for students in the event of an active shooter emergency.

I wish this conversation were not necessary, but the alarming increase in the number and rate of these incidents demands that we thoroughly consider viable prevention strategies and engage in appropriate planning and training. If you want additional information or would like to provide feedback on school safety issues, please use this online form: go.kcs.me/rrt 

Lessons from our “Leader in Me” and “R Factor” curriculum teach us to be proactive with a plan, while being willing to adjust and adapt as needed. We cannot control Events in this life, but we can control our Response to produce a better Outcome (E+R=O). In the end, we want to take all reasonable steps to keep our students and staff as safe as possible.