Metro Nashville Public Schools unveils new safety plan

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Director Dr. Adrienne Battle unveiled the district’s new plan to keep students safe during Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting.Battle says that plan involves strong collaboration with the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) to help implement safety protocols and prepare faculty, staff, and students for different scenarios.“As we know, the impetus for this current discussion was a tragic shooting that took place in our community at the Covenant School which took the lives of three young children, three administrators, and the shooter. My heart goes out to the victims’ families, and we stand with the Covenant community in making sure they have the tools and the resources needed for the long road to recovery,” said Battle.Starting this fall, the MNPD will begin filling school resource officer (SRO) vacancies with a new recruitment class.  This will allow both high schools and middle schools to have an SRO assigned daily.MNPS will also offer consultation to school administrators on safety drills throughout the year and provide direct training for staff during the summer to support students’ social-emotional needs. Representatives of both MNPS and MNPD will additionally meet regularly to collaborate and identify issues to ensure safety.The district also plans to add school and district level threat assessment teams to review potential threats and suicide behavioral screeners.“Plans that sit on a shelf aren’t helpful in an emergency,” said Battle. “Safety is not just about preventing active shooters, but it’s about the day-to-day, day in and day out safety of our students and staff from those who are authorized to be in the building during the school day.”The safety plan additionally updates steps the district has been taking to keep students safe.MNPS schools work with an assigned police officer to develop school-level emergency operation plans to lay out what to do in the case of emergency scenarios. Battle says these plans will be detailed, laying out the roles and responsibilities of staff, as well as contact information, emergency routes, and relocation sites.Schools are also tasked with practicing responses to emergency situations annually and the district will implement a communications plan to ensure that school staff, families, and partners are informed through multiple channels during an emergency.Over the last few years, the district has also implemented and expanded advocacy centers in elementary schools and peace centers in middle and high schools to de-escalate problems.Battle worked MNPS and the mayor’s office to secure a proposed $4 million in funding to help improve safety including campus upgrades to fencing, lighting, lobbies, additional security cameras, and key boxes for emergencies.Existing security cameras will also be upgraded to include weapon detection features and shadow resistant film protection will be installed on glass in school buildings to deter potential shooters.Battle says additional funding will be needed to keep these measures in place.“One of our models at MNPS is ‘know where you are, but don’t stay there’. While we aren’t looking to reinvent the wheel every year, we are looking at gaps and opportunities that can be enhanced. Whether it’s academics, student supports, or in this case safety and security.”