In recent years, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has grappled with a significant rise in shooting threats and incidents involving students bringing firearms onto school premises. Most recently, a threat to the safety of Wootton High School students reignited community fears of violence on campus. Recognizing the gravity of this issue, MCPS has diligently sought solutions to address it. In response, B-CC has taken proactive measures by implementing a new policy mandating that all students enter the school building solely through the main entrance and present their IDs upon entry. Mr. Cunningham, one of the members of B-CC’s security staff, expressed, “We are doing extremely well in terms of the safety of the students. Administrators have been keeping parents informed about everything in school through email.”
While the new policy has demonstrated effectiveness, certain students continue to find alternate entrances into the school without presenting their ID cards. This loophole not only undermines the policy’s efficacy but also poses a potential security risk by enabling unauthorized individuals, including strangers, to access the premises undetected by the administration. Despite the concerted efforts of the school administration and staff to continue safety measures, the pressing question remains: What proactive steps can students take to mitigate the threat of shootings at school?
Firstly, students must stick to the established rules, especially since meaningful change cannot occur unless it is collectively upheld. The administration’s efforts to address security concerns depend upon the cooperation and compliance of the student body. It is also crucial that students exclusively utilize the main entrance for access to the school premises. While extending the courtesy of holding doors open for friends may seem helpful, it unintentionally jeopardizes the safety of all students and staff. Each instance of unauthorized entry poses a potential risk to the entire school community.
With that, by strictly sticking to the designated entry points and not letting in unauthorized individuals, students play a pivotal role in maintaining a secure environment conducive to learning. Senior Masoom Muhammad reflected, “The least we as students can do to prevent the threats is to not open the doors to our friends and rather make them enter the building through the main gate.” Despite the active presence of security staff at B-CC, their capacity to monitor every corner of the school is constrained by ratio of limited number of guards available to survey a sprawling space. Therefore, the onus falls on students to exhibit responsibility by reporting any suspicious activity they encounter.
The recent incident at Wootton High School in April serves as an example of the importance of student intervention. When a student expressed intent to bring a weapon to school, a peer promptly alerted a trusted adult, thereby averting a potential crisis. Similarly, B-CC confronted a situation on April 16, when the Montgomery County Police Department received a tip from a Suicide Hotline regarding the potential for an individual to enter the building with a weapon. Fortunately, the report proved unfounded; however, the heightened police presence understandably brought concern among students and staff. “Unfortunately, seeing police on campus any time these days can be a worrying sign and has sadly become the norm, but I still think safety depends on everyone to work as a community,” shared history teacher Mr. Georgian.
Moreover, student safety is a crucial concern for the B-CC community. In the face of any suspicious activity performed on school grounds, students must speak to security staff or administration. Being a bystander is one of the worst approaches to take in a dangerous situation — remember to speak up.
