Academy

adding

armed 

security

WOODSTOCK — The Woodstock Academy Board of Trustees last week approved an administrative recommendation for armed security on campus.

This will start in the fall.

Headmaster Christopher Sandford said “The Woodstock Academy Mission requires the leadership to continually work to provide a safe environment for all our students. Over the last three years, we have taken many significant steps to ensure the safety of our students on our open campus.

“Research shows that when students feel safe, they focus on learning; their academic achievements increase. Recognizing this, 83 cameras were installed on campus, an anonymous tip line was added to the website, a comprehensive vulnerability assessment of the campus was conducted, all emergency procedures were updated, a School Security and Safety Plan was implemented, an access control system on exterior doors was installed, and a Campus Safety Committee was created.”

Sandford said the addition of armed security on campus was the next logical step.

He added, “Members of our current Campus Safety staff will fill this position. As outlined in Public Act No. 13-188, retired police officers who maintain certification are qualified to carry a weapon. The Board of Trustees has decided to allow a concealed weapon, which will not be visible to students or the community at large. 

“Once you strip away any initial emotional response to this change, which many of us had to do, and look at the facts, you will see the reasoning for this recommendation. Research shows that any school shooting is over between 3-7 minutes after it starts. Due to our location, it is possible that the response time for help to arrive could be as much as 15-20 minutes. 

Another concern is that the first responders may be unfamiliar with our campus; this could further delay a response. These factors convinced the administration and the Board to support the proposal, Sandford said. 

He added, “Our relationships with our students, however, are the keys to preventing violence. A comprehensive Advisory Program (a 30-minute monthly meeting to discuss school issues and develop strong student/adult relationships) was created, members of the administration and campus mental health professionals met for regularly scheduled meetings, and significant hours of professional development were dedicated to training our staff on de-escalation techniques. All members of the staff received National Incident Management System (NIMS) training, as well as active-shooter training. 

Families expect that we will provide a safe environment and protect our students from any harm; safety is truly the center of all these decisions. Based on the yearly survey data, over 90 percent of our students felt “safe” on campus, a significantly higher percentage than the state average. We will continue to explore any way to protect our students and, if it is feasible, we will put it in place, Sandford added.