School safety panel notes changes for 2024-25 school year

On Sept. 5, the Clarke County School District held a community conversation about school safety in the Cedar Shoals High school auditorium. A similar event was held at Clarke Central the next day. Superintendent Dr. Robbie Hooker, CCSD Police Chief Terry Reid, Assistant Superintendent of Operations Dr. Garrick Askew and Deputy Superintendent of Academics and Student Support Dr. Jennifer Scott answered questions about safety in CCSD Schools in a Q&A panel format. The conversation served as a review of existing policies and programs as well as a place for community questions to be answered. 

The most significant item from the meeting was the announcement that clear bags are being discussed to be required for students during the 2024-25 school year. Details, such as what grades the policy would affect, are still being determined. The goal is to curb the amount of weapons and illicit material brought into school buildings. While the policy is not for certain to be implemented, district officials are seriously discussing it as an option.

“With drugs or unsafe knives or even with bringing weapons to school, if they’re bringing it in a clear bag, we’ll be able to decipher those,” Hooker said in an interview. 

A possible community initiative to provide students who cannot afford clear bags is also being planned.

Common themes shared by panelists was the school’s role as an extension of the community and that parents play an important role in keeping schools safe.

“The biggest thing I wanted them to take away is that we need their support, we need their involvement in our schools,” Hooker said afterward. 

Panelists also emphasized the CCSD school safety telephone tipline. Contacted at (706)-229-7243, the tipline can be used for any specific school safety concerns from students and parents to address bullying, interpersonal conflicts, and illicit drugs or weapons.

The meeting had a significant focus on helping disaffected and misbehaving students and finding ways to address them. Programs such as the HYPE program, which helps misbehaving students practice self reflection, have been implemented at both Cedar and Clarke Central. However, the program only had eight students go through to completion.

To address concerns about student discipline at school, Hooker said that 43 students cause 85% of the problems at Cedar, and he addressed the policies surrounding students who exhibit disruptive behaviors.  

“You just can’t walk up to a student and say, ‘You’re dismissed.’ There’s a process that you have to use,” Hooker said. “But don’t be surprised to hear within the next six weeks that Cedar Shoals may have put out 30 students. We will work with the community, and there will be a better learning environment here at this school.” 

Roughly 30 parents attended the community conversation. Among them was former CCSD school board member Kirrena Gallagher, who took issue with the format of the meeting and the decision of the panelists to only answer pre-approved questions and to not take questions directly from parents.

“Had this truly been a conversation, everyone would be given the opportunity to express themselves, and their thoughts and opinions, without having to write it down or to send them an email,” Gallagher said. 

CCSD parent, Mirteca Adkins, believes that parent involvement is the most effective way to improve community safety. 

 “I don’t think the event needs to be more enticing, I just think people in the community need to be more willing to come to these events to support their students,” Adkins said. 

To help alleviate these concerns, the district will be holding quarterly community forums made up of parents, district members and possibly some students. 

“That’s my goal, to hopefully meet quarterly to address it to see if the solutions that we come up with from the first focus meeting are working and what adjustments we need to make,” Hooker said. 

Hooker also emphasized that the most important part of school safety is community involvement. 

“The biggest thing I wanted them to take away is that we need their support. We need their involvement in our schools,” Hooker said.