x
Breaking News
More () »

School Safety Recommendations Topic Of Educators Demand Action Meeting

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) — School safety was the top priority at a meeting held Tuesday night  by Educators Demand Action. The meeting was held at the St. Paul...

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- School safety was the top priority at a meeting held Tuesday night  by Educators Demand Action.

The meeting was held at the St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville to discuss school safety and what more should be done to keep students safe in school. The meeting also covered the possible implementation of recommendations made by the governor's Arkansas School Safety Commission.

Fayetteville School Board members sat before a room of about two dozen people and detailed how they're addressing school safety, particularly what's been changed or what will be changed after the school shootings that have taken place nationwide.

Board President Justin Eichmann said changes are being made.

"We are able to tell our community we are doing absolutely everything we can to make sure that our facilities and our workplace and the children that we serve are safe," he said.

Nicole Clowney's daughter goes to Washington Elementary. Nicole Clowney is running unopposed for state representative this November. She wanted to hear what's in store for Fayetteville schools.

"Schools all over the state of Arkansas are thinking about how to address the problem of gun violence in schools, and I just came to get some more information on what Fayetteville Public Schools has in mind," she said.

Earlier this month, the Arkansas School Safety Commission recommended ways for districts around the state, like Fayetteville's, to make safety changes.

Eichmann says Fayetteville Public Schools has created its own safety board that has worked with the state task force to help guide future safety plans for the district.

"The people that formed our security task force also took those into account. Not necessarily recommending everything that was recommended, and also going beyond and also recommending some things that were appropriate for Fayetteville," Eichmann said.

Clowney said she thinks the school board is taking the right steps in the right direction.

"They're seeking input from teachers, parents and staff and community members, and their number one goal is very obviously keeping our students both safe and comfortable, and I couldn't be more pleased with what I heard here tonight," she said.

Some of the security measures Fayetteville wants to implement include adding more school resource officers and possibly following Bentonville's lead by adding armed security guards in its buildings.

The Arkansas School Safety Commission will present its final report of recommendations to Governor Asa Hutchinson this November.

Before You Leave, Check This Out