BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — Almost a month after the deadly shooting inside Apalachee High School, security is still top of mind for parents in Barrow County.
On Tuesday night, the district held its first school board meeting since the shooting on Sept 4. Eleven people, including several parents and community members, signed up for public comment.
Almost everyone who got up to speak thanked board members for leading the district in such an unprecedented time. However, they also pushed for the board to implement policy changes and invest in technology to secure the schools.
“They don’t know what these kids have in their book bag,” Tara Shipman, a parent of an Apalachee High School student, explained.
Shipman pushing the board to implement a clear or mesh bag policy across the district.
“Colt Gray rode the bus with my child,” Shipman said.
She added, “She (her daughter) was kind of devastated by that, he literally he sat two seats in front of her and he carried this not just a small gun a huge rifle, he carried it with him for three hours before he executed his plan.”
Authorities said Gray rode a bus on Sept 4 to Apalachee High School, where he got off and went to at least one class before asking to be excused to see the counselor. At some point, the Barrow County Sheriff said Gray went into a bathroom where he stayed for an extended amount of time before emerging shortly after 10 a.m. and started opening fire. The shooting lasting less than a minute.
Another parent’s concern on Tuesday night was how easily Gray got into the school with the weapon.
“Unlike Uvalde where a door was left open, or Parkland where he broke in, this kid walked into a brand-new school that he never been in for more than a couple weeks pretty confident he could get a full-size rifle in there.”
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The Barrow County Sheriff said Gray had the portion of the gun which was outside the bag wrapped as if was some type of school project.
Something parents explained to the board could happen again unless something changes.
“If we had the clear book bags or a mesh book bag policy it would just eliminate all of the fear not only in the school but on the school buses,” Shipman said.
Another common theme among the speeches on Tuesday night was the push for the board to invest in some type of weapons detection system.
At least one parent acknowledging, “It was commented, it’s not one-hundred percent accurate and I one hundred percent agree with that but if we stop six out of 10 that’s sixty percent, and, well worth it in my mind.”
One parent made the point that if there is standard security for you to enter an airport or courthouse across the country, it’s time those measures are put into place to protect our children.
“Is it not now time for us as a community and a nation to standardize security measures in our schools,” the parent questioned.
While there were concerns raised, some others who spoke out made it a point to thank not just the board for their leadership but also the teachers and staff who they now consider heroes in the way they responded to the tragedy on Sept 4.
The board also recognized the 56 agencies who responded to the shooting on that Wednesday morning.
The school board reiterated to those who showed up that there is comprehensive review is underway to address the security protocols inside Barrow County Schools.
The board explained while there is research underway, they will be implementing measures that they find are necessary to secure the schools.
During a workshop last week, the board voted and approved a joint venture with the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office to hire eight additional School Resource Officers. The sheriff said this will allow them to have an SRO in every middle and elementary school across the district and multiple deputies inside both high schools.