Keeping Schools Safe

Leaders of West Virginia’s primary, secondary and collegiate level schools are turning to technology and increased security as they consider the possibility of gun violence in schools.

According to Education Week, in the last school year, there were 51 school shootings in the U.S. that resulted in injuries or death. This is the most since 2018, when the news organization started tracking the trends. While none of those shootings happened in West Virginia, the state’s educational leaders nonetheless say they have prepared for the potential of a shooting.

BridgeValley Community and Technical College in South Charleston, WV, is in the process of installing a gunshot detection system, says President Casey Sacks. The technology will consist of strategically positioned sensors within buildings that will automatically transmit alerts through a platform if gunshots erupt.

“The system will help us partner more efficiently with external groups, including local law enforcement and fire departments, in case of an emergency situation,” Sacks says. “It also allows for automatic lockdowns and immediate notifications via text to the community, enabling individuals to take appropriate action and seek safety in case of an active shooter incident. Since the average shooting incident lasts only a few minutes and can result in fatalities within seconds, the gunshot detection system’s quick response time is crucial in mitigating the potential impact of such incidents.”

Other colleges and universities say they have added additional security cameras or police officers, while increasing the amount of training in preparation for potential shootings.

“We have added many security enhancements such as video and surveillance cameras throughout campus and increased active shooter training and simulations,” says Marty Roth, Ph.D., president of the University of Charleston. “We plan to upgrade our IT infrastructure to enhance campus safety and security.”

West Virginia University (WVU) at Parkersburg employs a campus officer but is in the process of adding a lead security officer in addition to other security officers.

“We also do regular trainings to prepare for any type of emergency or a shooting so our staff would know how to respond,” says Torie Jackson, the school’s president and CEO.

WVU as a whole prioritizes the cam­pus community’s safety, says April Kaull, executive director of communications for WVU University Relations and Enrollment Management.

WVU police officers train annually for active shooter situations before each school year.

“We also encourage our campus community to utilize free active shooter trainings, where university police officers teach participants how to respond in case of an active shooter,” Kaull says. “The university police team provides this training upon request to any campus group. As part of these efforts, West Virginia University police recently provided training to more than 500 auxiliary and business services employees, among others.”

The officers also promote the use of LiveSafe, a mobile application that provides two-way communication with text, photo, video and audio. The app also provides additional safety information and notifications.

WVU has also implemented additional safety measures that include up­dating academic buildings to lock doors outside of normal operating hours, consolidating evening classes into fewer buildings and increasing the number of cameras and card reader locks across campus.

The school has requested money from the West Virginia Higher Education Deferred Maintenance Grant fund to update all exterior door locks on the Morgantown campus to swipe locks that can be locked down automatically by university police in case of emergency.

Appalachian Bible College in Mount Hope, WV, has increased security at facilities and strengthened campus patrol in response to the threat of shootings.

“While we are thankful for the safety we have enjoyed thus far, we don’t take it for granted in the future,” says Karisa Clark, the school’s director of public relations.

In April, the Bible college’s board of directors adopted a campus security strategic initiative that includes campus-wide monitoring, comprehensive facility and campus access control and the reviewing of emergency protocols and training. The school is in the process of implementing the initiative.

“Ultimately, we recognize God’s sovereignty over human affairs and trust in His care,” Clark says.

At West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, WV, the school has built out several security and safety measures, including emergency and text alert systems, social media alert accounts and a public safety siren and announcement system in the school’s chapel tower that can be heard several  miles in any direction. In addition, Wesleyan’s director of safety and security leads the campus in readiness, training and best practices.

The school, in coordination with local authorities and first responders, does tabletop and test exercises. The school also has plans for safety improvements in the next few years.

“Key staff will all carry FirstNet phones, operating on a special band that ensures fast data usage and communication used typically by first responders,” says John Waltz, the college’s vice president for enrollment and marketing. “Each are outfitted with critical safety and communication applications, readying leadership and staff to act in a moment’s notice without worry of a crowded network.”

In West Virginia’s K-12 public schools, safety is also a top priority, says State Superintendent Michele Blatt.

“Students must feel safe, and our schools must be safe in order for learning to take place,” she says.

Safety takes priority in school building construction. In 2007, the state Legislature created the School Access Safety Act, which empowered the School Building Authority (SBA) to fund the design, construction, renovation, repair and upgrading of facilities to enhance the ingress and egress of schools. The next year, the authority incorporated safety elements into its Quality and Performance Standards.

“Since the creation of the Safe School Act, which was incorporated in the SBA’s policy, we have continued to make changes and further improve our policies relating to safe school needs,” says Andy Neptune, SBA executive director. “This process is an ever-flowing review to keep up with a continued look at the needs for a better safe school environment.”

With the goal of student safety, Governor Jim Justice announced the School Safety Initiative by the state Department of Homeland Security in 2022.

The initiative aims to provide guid­ance to school personnel, students, par­ents and community members to detect and prevent school violence by recognizing threatening behavior in students and providing the tools necessary to seek assistance in the event of a crisis or threat.

“In my 43-year career, this is the most impactful, collaborative and strategic effort I have been a part of to protect our most valuable resource in West Virginia—our children,” says Jeff Sandy, former secretary of Homeland Security. “While developing this initiative, we have worked closely with the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE), West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, School Building Authority and federal, state and local law enforcement partners. So far, there is $2 million invested into this initiative so that all these great ideas can be put into practice.”

As a part of the initiative, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mark Sorsaia, Deputy Secretary Rob Cunningham and School Safety and Security Administrator Ron Arthur oversee safety procedures and facility security.

“This partnership has proven to be extremely successful as it allows our team to focus more time on the social and emotional well-being of children, which is often the root cause of serious incidents and threats inside of schools nationwide,” Blatt says. “Through inter-office collaboration, the WVDE has adopted the West Virginia Tiered System of Support, which provides a framework that supports the whole child. The three components of academics, behavior and mental health are supported by family and community, culture and climate and leadership.”

In addition to the state’s school safety initiative, more than 50 West Virginia schools are implementing a live video analytics platform called ROC Watch that they will use to identify visitors and help administrators manage building access before guests enter the school’s front office.

Through a fast, easy mobile enrollment process, staff and visitors set up a profile within a virtual badgeless visitor management system stored locally with each school.

“At present, 54 schools across West Virginia are under contract,” says Scott Swann, CEO of Rank One Computing, the company behind the program. “We have not yet rolled out the technology to all of these locations. Marion County
was the first, earliest adopter, and Put­nam County followed soon after.”

While it’s impossible to predict violence occurring, we can never be over-prepared when it comes to the safety of West Virginia students and school employees.