Fayette County Public Schools Announce School Safety Plan, Don’t Provide Many Details

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ)- School officials at Fayette County Public Schools say they have a new plan for school safety. It comes after three guns were found at Tates Creek High School in less than two weeks. Plus, Tuesday, the Interim Principal at Bryan Station Middle School says a student brought in a BB gun.

Superintendent Manny Caulk announced his new safety plan at a press conference Tuesday. Part of the plan calls for the use of metal detectors starting sometime after Thanksgiving. Caulk says he wants to start what he calls random, suspicion-less searches. That is just part of his plan, a plan he says he does not want to reveal too much about just yet.

“School safety is everyone’s business,” Caulk said.

He says random metal detector searches are part of a five pronged school safety plan. Those prongs include students, family, staff, law enforcement, and community.

“It’s all of us working together. The most important part is relationships,” Caulk said.

The Superintendent says he wants students to feel comfortable bringing problems to teachers. He wants parents to check their kids’ backpacks  before sending them to school.

It became clear in Caulk’s press conference, though, he was just announcing a plan. He says he will discuss how to implement it with his team on Thursday.
“We’re going to need everyone’s help to keep our campuses safe,” Caulk said.

Some details are clear.  Caulk says this is a community problem.  He says two of the students who brought guns to Tates Creek High School recently were truant and said they needed guns for protection, not at school, but because of what was happening at home or in the neighborhood.

“It’s really crazy to hear that little kids got to be so fearful they got to take guns to school,” Trust Epson said.
Epson just moved to the Tates Creek neighborhood. He says the fact kids brought guns to school makes him fearful.

“If little kids feel they got to take a gun just to go to school what do I have to take just to come down here to the gas station to get something to drink or a black and mild to smoke or something like that?” Epson said.

William shanks says he has lived in the area for about six years. He agrees with the district that this is a problem that extends beyond school.

“There is a little bit of a drug problem in this area,” Shanks said.

Trying to figure out why students feel they need to carry weapons in the neighborhood is the goal for a community forum Wednesday night at 6 pm in the library at Tates Creek High School. It is all part of the district’s plan to create safer schools.

As for the metal detectors, Caulk says the district already has some, but will have to buy more. He could not say how much they will cost. Caulk says the detectors will move from school to school so students will not know when to expect them.

Some people say metal detectors are bad for students’ performance.  Superintendent Caulk says this is part of society now and he thinks students will accept it for the greater good of keeping their schools safe.