As the new high school year picks up pace, schools all over the nation continue their enforcement of safety rules and procedures around campus, as every school intends on maintaining a credible and robust safe school environment.
Arizona has the worst student to counselor ratios in the nation, at 90 students for every one counselor. This ratio can be a cause for concern around campus because the ratio may mean students are not being heard when problems arise. This can often produce issues in Arizona because of the lack of counselors to speak with students about particular issues. Principal Dan Serrano believes students need to speak out, and he explained that “if you hear something, you gotta report it.”
I firmly believe in what Mr. Serrano states here. When a student hears of a possible safety violation, they need to find a way to let someone in the administration know.
From past school shootings and issues, it is shown that if the police or school security were informed prior to an event taking place on school grounds, it would have been easier for school security and police to get involved and neutralize any situation before it occurred.
In the year 2018, only one school shooting in Arizona occurred, which is quite remarkable since there were 47 total in the United States, according to a Statsista study by Martin Armstrong. The shooting took place at Coronado Elementary school where a fourteen-year-old boy shot himself in a school bathroom. We need to credit security and administration with a job well-done that Arizona only had one shooting. Schools are taking the initiative to make sure an attack does not occur on our campuses.
Serrano also mentioned in a recent interview, that Perry has its safety plans revised “annually” and later added, “we have to submit our safety plan to the district and to the state.” The protocol talked about is a significant move to keep students safe because our plans are reviewed by not only our school administration and security but also district safety and state coordinators.
Perry also needs parents and guardians to understand the risk they can have on the students and faculty during a dangerous event on school grounds.
Chandler Unified School District has several mandatory methods that need to be followed by every school in the district, some as lockdown and fire drills, and some as extensive as bussing students to safe areas if a specific event calls for it.
Based off past experiences, CUSD has made it a district-wide policy that when a school is under a severe safety issue, parents need to refrain from contacting the school as that can have a negative effect on phone lines and administrators communicating with first responders.
Families must also avoid driving to the school, as that puts not only themselves in danger but also may impede safety vehicles from arriving at the school promptly. The district and school administration realize how hard this can be, but for the ultimate safety of the school and it’s students, they ask guardians to follow these protocols.
Perry is not only a safe environment for students but also a positive one, for the reasons not only outlined above but also due to the confidence that the school administration and security staff holds in our safety procedures. They are always looking for ways to better them and make Perry a more safe and enjoyable experience for all students.