Every year, 19,000 children and teens are killed due to gun violence, and nearly 3 million are exposed to it. According to everytownresearh.org and axios.com, There have been 501 mass shootings this year alone. USAToday reports that 188 of those shootings were schools. It’s no wonder why people are starting to worry about the safety of children in schools. While Caney Creek has never experienced a shooting, the school should continue to take the steps needed to further prevent one from becoming a clear and present danger.
Looking at the attendance policy now, Caney Creek only allows for illness, higher education visits, armed forces enlistment, voting, and getting a driver’s license or permit. There is no clear indication on if students can take off days that face threats. The two main problems with this are that kids could be put in dangerous situations, and it’s up to the parents to decide if they’re comfortable with their children going to school on those days. It is important that every student feels safe on campus and while the procedures can be reassuring, this is just another step towards safety.
If a parent feels uncomfortable with a kid going to school on days with threats then they should be able to write a note for that day. On Sep. 12, there was a threat made against Caney Creek. The email sent out to families said “While we do not believe that this is more than disruptive student behavior, every threat is taken seriously and investigated fully.” Even if it’s believed to be only “disruptive behavior”, there’s still a possibility of it becoming a dangerous situation. K-12 Dive notes that 28.9% of shooting threats are genuine, 31.5% of threats are jokes and 40% of threats are unclear.
Some may say that kids will try to play the system t. So whether it be online, in a bathroom stall, or to a friend, these threats will be investigated and students who make false threats could face serious consequences. K-12 Dive says that 87% of people arrested for school threats have received felonies. Schools shouldn’t put “what ifs” before the safety of real students.
The only way to fix this problem is to tell the school board to make the change. Schools have already put more rules in place for safety and this is just another step towards the right direction. Students should be able to feel safe without worrying about attendance.
