Since the Covid-19 pandemic, CCSD schools have reported an increase in violent behavior. For example, in a Las Vegas Sun article which sifted through four years of data, the 2021-22 school year reported an increase in police calls on school campuses compared to pre-pandemic school years.
We have seen this firsthand at Silverado as well. For example, a stranger was arrested for entering our campus with a firearm. Silverado’s campus went into a soft lockdown last month when a fight involving a blade led to bloodshed.
Despite these serious but rare incidents, many students feel safe at school. In a Star staff survey, ⅔ of us said we feel safe here at Silverado. The people involved in these incidents were arrested immediately. Silverado has people such as counselors, teachers, and adults we can talk to on a personal and emotional level. The staff and teachers are supportive and treat everyone with respect, and they reassure us that we are safe. We are encouraged to report threats and safety issues through SafeVoice.
Still, there are ways we can improve the safety on our campus. One important part of this is the people we hang out with. Dangerous situations can be avoided by ignoring drama. It helps to steer clear of people who are likely to start a fight. It is also important to follow directions and act intelligently in a crisis.
When there are threats to school safety, the school has a responsibility to act. Currently, teachers are required to lock their doors, and we have CCSD police and campus monitors who work to keep the school safe.
CCSD is considering other methods in an effort to make the school safer. Next year, we may all have to wear our student IDs. This could help a lot as it would prevent students from lying when confronted by a staff member. It will also help staff to recognize unfamiliar people on campus, so it will be easier to catch someone who doesn’t belong. However, some students may forget their IDs or choose not to wear them.
One safety measure schools often implement is installing metal detectors at the doors. This may make the school safer, though it is not without problems. It would take a while for students to get through, and it would cost a great deal of money.
We are concerned that some security measures could make our school feel like a prison and restrict our freedom. Students may feel less safe if they do not feel trusted.
The Star feels that mainly what we need are more adults involved with security on campus, watching the doors. Some secluded places get overlooked, so it will help to have more people monitoring. Having more adult security will make the school safer.
There are no perfect solutions for making our school safer. Some students are determined to break the rules, and some are incapable of learning to diffuse the drama. More security and rules may not change their attitude. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try, and wearing IDs and monitoring entrances better could help address this problem.
