WNEG News Stephens County School Safety Special Report

Earlier this week, WNEG News met with Stephens County School Superintendent Dr. Connie Franklin and Assistant Superintendent John Stith to talk about school safety in light of the recent school shooting in Barrow County and the growing number of threats of school violence and student arrests, not only in Stephens and other Northeast Georgia Counties, but school systems across the state and communities nationwide. 

Franklin spoke of the support the school system has received since the shooting at Apalachee High School

She talked about how the students are handling the stress and fear that are resulting from the shooting and the following rash of threats.

Franklin talked about the services the school district is offering to help students cope with the situation and the fears.

WNEG News noted that several parents have commented on social media that they have wanted to keep their children home after the shooting in Barrow County for safety and comfort of the child, but were concerned about the school’s strict attendance policies, and Franklin said that this is an unusual circumstance, and in this case, the best decisions are those made by the parents and the school will support those decisions.

Franklin talked about the school system’s policies and processes about student behavior and mental health issues when enrolling new students.

Concerning currently-enrolled students, Franklin added that parents play a key role in helping the school system to identify students that may be experiencing difficulties.

Stith spoke of the training that the school provides for teachers and staff regarding identifying and helping students with a variety of issues, and added that parents play a key role, also.

Stith addressed the school’s practices on active shooter drills.

In addition to drills, the school participates in planning sessions to look at potential scenarios to determine the best response.

WNEG News asked Franklin about whether bullying is an issue in Stephens County Schools.

WNEG asked what the school recommends if a parent sees that their child is being bullied, or is bullying others.

Franklin talked about parents monitoring students’ online access, and said that school devices are set to automatically monitor for concerning actions. 

Franklin addressed the school system’s policies about students and cell phones.

Franklin talked about the school system’s position on metal or weapons detectors. 

Franklin said that the School Board has been kept informed of not only the shooting at Apalachee High School, but all reports of threats locally.

Stith talked about Stephens County’s use of the Centegix Alert System that was in use at Apalachee High School and that law enforcement officials stated had reduced response time there significantly

Franklin acknowledged that there is no magic wand that will guarantee safety, but said that the system is a valuable tool. 

Franklin responded to WNEG’s inquiry about how teachers are dealing with the shooting and following threats, and what assistance is available to them.

Stith talked about how the school keeps up with ongoing changes in best practices when it comes to school safety.

Franklin said that the school system would rather overreact than underreact to a concern.

Franklin talked about the See Something Send Something app, and the use of that system locally, and spoke about the district’s response to students who make threats, either verbally or online.

Franklin stressed that open communication with not only parents but other community members is important, and a way that the community as a whole can support the school system and students.

Stith said that safety is an ongoing priority for years, and talked about the improvements in physical school safety that have been implemented over the past years.

Stith and Franklin stressed the importance of the SRO Program in continued safety for the students.

Franklin added that the school system continues to look at new safety measures that can be implemented and expressed appreciation for the students that consistently do the right thing and commended parents for the job they are doing.