Kentucky, Florida, Maryland, California, Texas and, on Friday morning, Indiana.
Those are states in 2018 where a student or former student has gone to school with a gun and shot others.
Kansas, thankfully, is not on the list. The state has been fortunate not to have a school shooting involving the death of a student or staff member since 1985.
But that gives Kansans no sense of security in a time where news of another school shooting elicits reactions of Where now? just as often as How senseless.
Its time to ask ourselves whether our schools are ready when a student with mental-health problems wants to open fire against classmates. Up to now, districts have seemingly been diligent in acknowledging a shooting is possible in any school and have taken measures to lessen the chances.
But Columbine and Sandy Hook and Parkland and Santa Fe keep occurring at schools that think theyre ready when violence happens and at a rate that makes it time to take a next step.
School districts owe it to their students and families to go beyond what theyve ever done in terms of school safety. Its sometimes said schools shouldnt resemble prisons. But maybe its time.
This needs to be a coordinated effort, with voices from all levels. Governor to school board members. Superintendents to part-time paraprofessionals. Middle school students, high school students, alumni who went through 13 years of school buildings and relationships with classmates.
Law enforcement knows best and worst practices. Parents worry about school safety as much as anyone. Business leaders may have innovations that can work in schools. Everyone needs a voice.
l The conversation is about people inside the schools. More counselors and psychologists, early school budget victims when times are tight, are needed to identify and help students who have signs of mental-health problems. They are the people most capable of catching early the troubles a school shooter can display.
Teachers and students should hold more active-shooter drills. These have become more important than fire or tornado reminders.
Students should receive more encouragement in reporting classmates who exhibit signs of trouble. After the Columbine killings in 1999, the state of Colorado in 2004 opened the Safe-2Tell hotline that gave students, parents and teachers a place to make anonymous tips about threats, bullying and possible suicides. Now a smartphone app, the hotline had 9,163 reports during the 2016-17 school year. (The Wichita school district has a text version.)
More trained professionals school resource officers and security guards may be needed, and should be armed. Not teachers.
l The conversation is about school buildings themselves. Districts have performed upgrades to security such as video cameras, secure entrances and systems that require visitors to check in with a drivers license. Other policy changes, such as locking dozens of doors so only one entrance is accessible, are now common.
Its now time to talk about next steps. Metal detectors are used in New York, Los Angeles and some other big-city districts, bringing a sense of security but also a message of an unwelcome environment for students and visitors. Are we to the point they should be in Kansas?
