Pupils of Apalachee High School might resume their academic activities imminently. Let's examine the strategies employed by other educational institutions.
"It's literally terrifying," the 16-year-old student expressed about returning to the school this week. "Ever since that incident, you just gotta be on alert about your surroundings and it's just petrifying sleeping, it's just overall nerve-wracking going back to the school, knowing the last time you were here, a major catastrophe took place."
Although the Casablanca, Georgia, school's future remains uncertain, students like Moreno might be heading back to school soon. They commenced the academic year in early August, while neighboring schools commenced classes on Tuesday with extra counselors, therapy dogs, and law enforcement available for increased security, stated the Barrow County School System.
Several administrators who led students during and after other tragic shootings discussed with CNN that the process of getting students back into classrooms following a disaster is a complicated and lengthy one. However, they emphasized that the process should not be rushed.
"I believe it's incredibly crucial for folks to grasp that there should be some time dedicated to the healing process," Michelle Kefford, principal at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, stated. "Individuals process or will process a tragedy differently. And while everyone experiences the same tragedy, their personal or intimate experience is distinctly unique."
For Kefford, this step initially involved finding alternative classroom spaces when it was decided that the three-story building where the massacre occurred would remain closed. This required changes in seating arrangements to skip empty seats where victims once sat, or conducting fire drills without sounding the alarm. At her school, 17 individuals lost their lives in 2018.
"We must be sympathetic to all these aspects. We made numerous changes here as a result of the shooting since we really had to consider ... what might activate staff and students, and attempt to avoid those factors, try to eliminate those factors," Kefford added.
Principals share their insights
School administrators who experienced gun violence in their schools discovered support in a network of their peers, nicknamed the Principal Recovery Network. In 2022, the association of school leaders compiled a collection of best practices administers can use as they manage the aftermath of a disaster.
Referred to as the "Guide to Recovery," the group offers guidance on securing support, reopening schools, addressing the needs of students and staff, commemorating tragedies, and listening to student voices. Some of their recommendations are:
- Make sure all physical damage is repaired before bringing any students or staff back onto campus.
- Permit staff members to "feel secure in their building first before they are prepared to support students and resume teaching" by participating in meetings or gatherings.
- Consider delaying the school's reopening or resuming classes until any funerals have taken place.
- Establish an "open house" or event to "allow families, staff, and/or students to visit the school on their terms and feel secure before returning for official school days."
Kacy Shahid, a former principal at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, Missouri, stated she was the first school administrator to make use of the guide. A former student opened fire at that school in October 2022, killing a student and a teacher.
At the time, Shahid implemented the guide's framework since her district had not experienced gun violence like that and didn't have a recovery plan. She realized it was essential to give students opportunities to express themselves, which, in their case, meant organizing and participating in a student assembly on the school's football field.
Students did not resume in-person classes until three months later, Shahid mentioned, and that only took place after the school community was surveyed.
"It should not be done in isolation from the school community," Shahid stated. "It should not just be something that the district or state level determines or makes that decision, but you should involve your teachers, students, and parents in that conversation."
Shahid admitted it was difficult being a leader during the aftermath of a tragedy and stated it was her students that gave her the strength to continue.
"I'll speak for myself. I didn't possess the strength or ability to even commence pulling everyone together. It was the students, and I offered them that opportunity," she said.
What other schools have done after deadly shootings
School administrators have opted for closing down or eventually demolishing buildings, implementing enhanced security measures and supplying extended mental health services as they welcome back students to classes.
Students did not return to classes at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022. Instead, they were allocated to nearby public schools or opted to attend private schools the following academic year. A new elementary school is being constructed approximately two miles away and construction is anticipated to be completed next year.
Other schools have resumed classes months, weeks, and days later. In Florida, students returned to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School two weeks after the February 2018 massacre. However, Building 12, where most of the victims were killed, was cordoned off behind emergency tape with its windows covered for six years before it was demolished in July.
In Texas, students at Santa Fe High School returned 11 days after a May 2018 shooting to finish the academic year. Additional school resource officers were hired, and a variety of security improvements were implemented, including metal detectors, improved locks, and panic buttons, according to CNN affiliate KHOU. In May, a design for a memorial honoring the victims was unveiled to be constructed on campus. The commencement of construction remains unclear.
After experiencing the tragedy, Moreno and other students might find comfort in knowing that their school adminstrators have resources and support networks, such as the Principal Recovery Network, to help them navigate the recovery process. To ensure a safe and supportive environment, schools like Santa Fe High School in Texas have implemented additional security measures and hired more school resource officers following devastating incidents.
