An administrative and school board review of West Liberty-Salem Schools’ safety protocol is ongoing as district officials consider whether additional security procedures could lessen the possibility of another attempted shooting.
West-Liberty-Salem Superintendent Kraig Hissong fields questions Monday during a press conference at the high school. Classes resumed today following Friday morning’s shooting. (EXAMINER PHOTO | NATE SMITH)
One thing is clear: Existing training was followed and that preparation made for the best possible outcome from a horrific situation, Superintendent Kraig Hissong said Monday in a press conference in front of the school.
Mr. Hissong lauded staff efforts in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
“Every staff member in this building is a hero in some way because of his or her efforts,” he said.
Because of the quick response from area law enforcement as well as staff, a day of “panic and tragedy” turned into a day of “victory,” the superintendent said.
Local law enforcement were on site to greet students today as they returned to class on a one-hour delay. Staff members also rode school buses alongside students in an effort to foster a sense of safety among the student population.
Free community-wide admission into Monday’s middle school girl’s basketball, in conjunction with an open house for students and their parents, was designed to get everyone back into the building and feeling more comfortable ahead of a return to classroom instruction.
“We want students to see their friends, see their classrooms before the first day back to school,” Mr. Hissong said.
Citing the ongoing criminal investigation, Mr. Hissong declined to detail how the firearm was taken into school Friday morning.
He did say Monday that all damage was repaired around the area in which the shooting and subsequent fleeing of students occurred, and that area would be open Tuesday.
“Moving forward, the district is committed to providing a safe learning environment for our students,” the superintendent wrote in a letter to parents in the aftermath of the shooting.
“Review of safety and security procedures will be ongoing to continue to do all that is reasonably possible to prevent future incidents and to learn from what has occurred.”
An executive session of the district’s board of education was conducted Friday to discuss “security matters,” and no action was taken. Mr. Hissong confirmed Monday the board is considering additional security measures up to and including installing metal detectors at the school, or even looking into uniformed law enforcement on school grounds during the day.
“The board wants to make sure any actions are reasonable and not just a knee-jerk reaction to what happened,” Mr. Hissong said.