LETTER: Schools are safer now than ever

To the editor:

The recent tragic school shooting in Parkland Florida has resulted in a wave of grief, support, discussion, and debate. It is not surprising then that this tragedy has also impacted our own community and school district. With that said, I read with great interest the recent articles in the Messenger about an active shooter drill at Baker High School and a $6.4 million budget proposal for “security upgrades.”

I was struck by two quotes: “I realized I couldn’t keep my own kids safe at school,” by Tom Czyz of Armoured One, and “Nobody can do their job or learn if they’re looking over their shoulder and scared,” by Baldwinsville Superintendent Matt McDonald. They imply schools are not safe, families and students should be afraid, and that millions of dollars are needed to make our schools safe. The reality, however, is that schools are safer now than ever. That is not to suggest that violence and tragic events don’t happen. As we know from Sandy Hook and Parkland, they do and any shooting or act of violence is one too many. The reality, however is that these awful events are extremely rare. Researchers at Northwestern University found that “on average, mass murders occur between 20 and 30 times per year, and about one of those incidents on average takes place at a school.” According to a March 2018 New York Magazine article titled “There Is No ‘Epidemic of Mass School Shootings,” “American children do not ‘risk their lives’ when they show up to school each morning.” In fact, kids today have a greater chance of dying in a car accident, drowning or choking on food than they do of being killed in a mass school shooting.

I know this all seems counterintuitive given the media attention to school shootings but the reality is that schools are safe. This is not the message our school district has been sending to our students, families and community.

Keeping our students safe will not happen with active shooter drills, automatic locks, increased video surveillance and installing bulletproof glass in our schools. Do we want our students and staff to feel like schools are fortresses? I don’t.

As a longtime Baldwinsville resident, parent, school psychologist and university professor for more than 25 years, I am well aware of the ongoing concerns with respect to violence in schools and the importance of safety for our children. I also feel shock and sadness over any loss of life. With that said, there are far better and more effective things to spend millions of dollars on than locks, bulletproof glass, and active shooter drills. Our schools are incredibly safe thanks to the support and resources from our families and community and the hard work of the administrators, teachers and staff. I implore parents and community members to question the narrative being promoted in the recent articles about B’ville schools and the need to spend millions of taxpayer dollars out of fear.