School shootings in the U.S. are unmatched compared to other countries, and this number continues to rise.

On May 24th, 2022, an 18-year-old gunman entered Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, and shot and killed 19 students and two teachers.

According to CNN, the gunman had body armor, a rifle, and a backpack.

More recently, on November 6th, 2022, at a Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, a 16-year-old girl and a 61-year-old woman were both fatally shot by a 19-year-old gunman, Orlando Harris. Harris managed to get access to an AR-15-style and 600 rounds of ammo.

This year alone, there have been at least 39 school shootings.

Furthermore, with the continued media coverage of these violent acts within school communities, it is not surprising that students question the level of security on their campuses, leaving students, parents, and staff a bit more fearful about the safety of their schools.

A safe learning environment is essential to student success, so to combat these evolving security worries, schools must continue to take safety precautions.

Here at BSHS, one area of concern is the number of access points on campus.

Though it may be challenging to keep the numerous campus doors secure, Principal Alderman explains that though “there are a lot of them, all those doors are on camera…We are monitoring these doors each and every day to make sure they are secure.”

Also, to prevent people from using exterior doors, Principal Alderman mentions that there are student “consequences for letting someone into our school who shouldn’t come in.”

When asked about the various campus access points, senior Mia Lloyd found them to be a positive. She explains that with “so many doors, we can pick in and out in emergencies…having a lot of doors is efficient and lets us [students] evacuate in a good amount of time,” if necessary.

Principal Alderman continues to expand on the security measures that were recently put into place. He states that “since 2008 and 2009, we have continuously upgraded security systems and our facilities…to make sure that all the possible security measures we can possibly have in place are in place.”

Also, after a 2018-2019 bond passed, our buildings made even more upgrades to security systems and security cameras.

In addition, Alderman explains that each school year, teachers and staff members complete safety training with the resour

ce officer, Officer Russell.

A sophomore, Jacob Dance, believes that the BSHS security measures are adequate and effective. He states, “I think it’s effective because we’ve never really had any big problems…”

C.J. Reach, a senior, also comments that “If an emergency were to take place at school, I think the school would be pretty prepared because we do have resource officers, and they’re fully armed. Also, we’ve done drills about what to do if certain things happen.”

Recently, the Blue Springs School District adjusted the terminology used in emergency situations to ensure all schools were consistent. There are now three levels of emergency threats: Hold, Secure, and Lockdown. In any of these instances, students need to clear the halls and report directly to a classroom.

In case of a fire or another similar incident, the word “Evacuate” will be used, at which point, all will need to vacate indoor premises.

Lastly, the word “Shelter” will be announced if there is a threat of a tornado or another natural disaster.

It is clear, safety is a top priority at our school. Our building continues to update safety procedures and systems. Also, each year, the faculty completes training to help to keep students safe.

However, one element that is sometimes overlooked, is OUR responsibility to report troubling information. If we, as students, hear something unsettling, we must take it seriously and report it immediately to an adult.

If these safeguards are followed, BSHS will continue to be a safe environment where students and staff can focus on building positive relationships and supporting student student success.