SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ)- Lots of questions surrounding safety are being asked in Shawano, as students entered the building one day after a shooting threat was discovered.
With extra security in and around the Shawano School District buildings, students entered class on Tuesday with concerns, and questions.
“Students came in and were anxious, nervous and scared,” Shawano Superintendent Gary Cumberland said. “We worked with pupil services, counselors and social workers.”
Cumberland says the district plans to make use of a school safety grant that was just signed by the governor, but the board will have to decide what the district can improve on.
“We believe that we are doing a really good job now, but can you do better, you always can and that is why those funds are being made available.
Shawano County Sheriff Adam Bieber wants the community to ask an important question when it comes to safety.
“Is any child being hurt by a gun or knife or any weapon in a school acceptable. If that answer is no, then we need to steps to prevent that.”
He says if the community really wants a safe school, it would result in policy changes that are costly and in some cases, out of the ordinary.
“Make sure that all the kids come in one door, and make sure that all the kids are screened before they come into the building. Make sure everything is checked, then you will have a safe school, because just having a cop in the school is not going to promise safety.”
Bieber said many do not like the idea of having their kids being checked at the door, but it is already being done at sporting events and airports. He added that eliminating backpacks and not having students bring anything to and from school would also help.
“Should we even bring backpacks home? Should anything be brought in and out of school? I personally think this is something that we can change. It would be a big change, but that is something that we have to think about and talk about.”
Regardless, Bieber says he is proud of the response that law enforcement and school officials had on Tuesday, and said this will be helpful in the long run.
“It is a bad thing that happened, but there is a lot of good that could come from it. It is going to make our community better and it is going to make us better prepared.
Bieber says that is because situations like this are common in the aftermath of a nationwide occurrence.
The school board is expected to take up school safety at their next meeting.
