57% of teens worry about school shootings and other security related issues according to Pew Research Center. Just last year, there were 38 school shootings resulting in deaths and injuries and 190 total since 2018 (Education Week). As we begin a new year, unfortunately there have already been 8 school shootings nationwide. This brings up the discussion of student safety here at CHS and what measures our district is taking to prevent such events from occurring.
In the event that a school shooting were to occur, our district has extensive plans in place to ensure that every student’s safety is prioritized. The school board is working to refine our system and stay connected with local officials.
“We do have monthly meetings between the police department and the high school admin team,” a school board member said. “There are systems in place called gridded reference graphics, or GR GS–which is basically a standardized map system that takes each property and school and separates them into grids.”
This system allows for local officials to quickly locate where a threat is occurring and respond as soon as possible. Different plans have been made for different sectors and grids depending on the type of threat. Additionally, schools within the district are equipped with advanced camera systems to connect the main offices with the school’s activity throughout the day.
“We have a significant number of cameras district wide and we have added new ones to cover areas where we had weaker coverage i.e. new areas like Aux Gym and Auditorium,” High School Principal Nicholas Angel said. “We have gun detection software on our camera systems in the CSD. Cameras are used in both a proactive and reactive fashion.”
The Chelsea Police department has tested these cameras and ensured that they work before receiving further inspection from the company. Most of them are at the entry points to the school. The fact that guns can be detected before even entering the school grounds is a great sign for everyone’s safety.
“We cross trained with our local CPD with our camera system and gun detection software,” Angel said. “These cameras are also live streamed into the Chelsea police department.”
Students also have access to the Okay2Say initiative which is an anonymous tip line for students. Any messages sent through the app receive immediate action by the administrative staff and can be used as a tool for students to report on any school related issues.
“This is a program that is required for every school in the state of Michigan to participate in,” Angel said. “If a tip is given then we are contacted by the folks from OK2Say.”
However, the Chelsea School District is unique in that students have strong relations with staff. They can feel safe knowing that there are procedures in place to keep them safe.
“We are fortunate that we have strong relationships with our students and are accessible so we don’t get much traffic via OK2Say as students feel comfortable bringing any concerns they have to the attention of a trusted adult,” Angel said.
