In 28 years schools have been the scene of 264 incidence involving gun violence. Four of those have taken place in Oklahoma resulting in six injuries and two fatalities.
Henryetta school officials have ramped up their security system in an effort to safeguard the students. Over the past 12 months, the school has installed new video surveillance equipment and added a key card lock system to the doors.
Those efforts as well as the school safety plan will be discussed Thursday evening at a meeting open to the public.
“We want the public to know what we are doing and hear their concerns,” said superintendent Dwayne Noble.
The meeting will be held at the high school cafeteria starting at 7 p.m.
On hand will be Henryetta police chief Steve Norman, fire chief David Bullard and representatives from the Okmulgee County Emergency Management office.
The school has an established emergency plan drawn up four years ago. Since then, the school has instituted policies that prohibit any kind of weapon to be on school grounds. That ban also includes anyone who has a conceal/carry permit.
Noble said the electronic door locks are the most visible addition to the school.
“Before that, a lot of the doors were being held open with rocks and anyone could get into the building.”
Now, anyone wishing to enter the building must press a button and state their business before being allowed in.
During the past four months, new video cameras have been installed and an alarm system tied into the police department. The new cameras provide a view of all the buildings back to a main terminal where they can be monitored.
Principals in all the buildings have met with police chief Norman and worked out plans for the officers in the event of a shooting incident.
Henryetta police have used the school in the past for training in the event of an active shooter situation.
That included going through the classrooms that are both empty or filled with students.
“Right now a lot of people are talking about shootings but we have to look at other scenarios,” Noble said. That includes fire and weather dangers.
Recently a drill was held with Middle and High School students where they were sent to the STEM building just as they would in the event of a storm.
“It took less than five minutes and we had all the students in the STEM building and it was locked down.”
That building is equipped with steel shutters over the windows and doors that can be fastened into the wall preventing injuries from flying glass and debris.
“The school system belongs to the public. We are responsible for their children and we want everyone to know what we are doing to protect them,” Noble added.