By Jennifer Kopsch
C & G Staff Writer

ROYAL OAK — As the nation mourns the deaths of the 32 victims killed in the April 16 mass shooting at Virginia Tech, local schools are remaining vigilant and emphasizing school safety.

Shortly after hearing news of the Virginia Tech massacre, Royal Oak Neighborhood Schools Superintendent Tom Moline sent a letter to all school administrators requiring mandatory lockdown drills to be held at every school the following day.

“We pray that such situations shall never come near our school system, but we have to acknowledge that many parents and community members will have deep concern for school-aged children and young adults in the days ahead,” Moline stated in the letter. “We must make parents/guardians and our students aware that we continue to do everything within our ability to insure that our facilities are safe and protected places.”

Moline asked building administrators to review their lockdown drills upon completion to determine if any improvements could be made to minimize response time. He also stressed the importance of monitoring school entry points.

For the past year, the Royal Oak school district has been updating its buildings’ security systems. Upton Elementary School was the first to get significant upgrades, including an electrical door-locking system, which can be controlled from a central location; a  key-card entry system for students and staff; and video surveillance equipment that keeps track of who is entering the building. The district plans to implement the same technology in all of its schools.

Clawson Public Schools has adopted similar security measures, such as a staff I.D. system, security cameras and additional monitoring of guests entering the buildings.

“Each of the buildings in Clawson regularly practices all our safety drills — evacuation, storm, lockdown,” said Kenwood Elementary Principal Virginia Mantella. “At the elementary level, we want students to be prepared to respond appropriately to any danger, yet we try not to make the students over-anxious, as they already hear and see so much that frightens them in the news. Therefore, we treat such drills as regular safety procedures.”

Shrine Catholic Schools are also making sure security measures are in place. According to Shrine Academy and Shrine High School Principal Gabrielle Erken, school liaison officer Ann Marie Gasiorek from the Royal Oak Police Department visited the building a few weeks ago to complete a lockdown drill. There has also been dialogue between students and staff regarding the Virginia Tech shooting.

“We feel that, while one can never really be prepared for a crisis like this, our community is familiar with lockdown procedures,” said Erken. “Certainly in our senior classes, the students and teachers have been discussing the Virginia Tech situation as the students prepare to graduate and enter university. Violence is the frightening reality that we all live with, and it is sad that our children have to learn this at such a young age.”

Similar dialogue has been happening at Royal Oak High School.

“The high school has been encouraging staff to discuss the issue with students, while at the same time stressing that the school is indeed a safe place for kids,” said Royal Oak High School Principal Michael Greening. “It’s a fine line to walk, but we do a disservice to our students and community if we pretend these unfortunate incidents can’t happen here.”

You can reach Jennifer Kopsch at jkopsch@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1052.