By Dr. Akil E. Ross, Sr.
Dear District Five Families
After the recent tragedy in Winder, Georgia, our nation mourns while grappling with solutions for targeted school violence. School officials carry the massive responsibility of ensuring thousands of students and staff are safe and secure. The Lexington Richland School District Five Safety Office has formed partnerships with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, City of Columbia Police Department, Chapin Police Department, Irmo Police Department, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to be an ever-present force for intervention and prevention of school violence. Our partnership with law enforcement and emergency services allows us to evaluate our safety protocols and effectively train our faculty and staff. This partnership supports our school resource officers and security staff to ensure that best practices are shared among both counties and the municipalities we serve.
All faculty and staff have reviewed the Lexington Richland Five safety and security protocols as part of their mandatory back-to-school training and are prepared to guide students in the event of an emergency. During the month of September, we will be conducting active shooter/lockdown drills with our students. Our goal is to train our students with the expertise of law enforcement. Students will also watch the 2024 Student Safety Drill Procedures video to help them prepare for the active shooter/lockdown drills. We are constantly working to improve and enhance our campus defenses and security protocols.
Active shooter response is so crucial and we take its preparation seriously. Moreover, violence prevention is also essential. According to the Sandy Hook Promise, in almost every documented case of active shooters, warning signs were shown. The National Threat Assessment Center found in their report, Protecting America’s School (2019), that all attackers experienced social stressors involving peers, leading to unresolved grievances. As a result, our number one violence prevention tool is understanding warning signs and reporting the warning signs to school officials or law enforcement. We have provided all students with our anonymous reporting application, STOPit. When students and staff report concerns and incidents through this platform, officials can intervene to protect students and staff.
Our school district is dedicated to the safety and security of all students, and we need support from parents and guardians. In partnership with schools, parents can ensure their weapons are secured and accounted for, talk to their children about saying something when they see something, and help their children manage their emotions when resolving conflicts. We have a great community made up of great schools. Together, we can provide our children with the best educational learning environment so that every child feels loved in our schools and can grow.
Thank you for your support of our children. We want to assure you that the safety and security of our students is our top priority, and we are committed to working with you to achieve this goal.
