Colfax-Mingo examines security, culture after Florida shooting

COLFAX – From articles flooding Facebook newsfeeds to the 24-hour coverage on national broadcast networks, the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., has been the center of every Americans’ mind.

All over the nation, families can be seen mourning the 17 victims killed in the tragic shooting. Lawmakers in all states are debating how to prevent future incidents. Students of every school district are voicing their worries and concerns.

Here in the small town of Colfax, it is no different.

Are our schools safe? Can this happen here? What can we do to prevent this? – these are questions the administrative team at Colfax-Mingo Community School District have been addressing since Feb. 14, and as part of that mission, the school hosted a 10-minute assembly Feb. 22 at Colfax-Mingo Jr/Sr High School.

“The world which we created for you is a world in which you need to fear coming to school, going to a movie, going to a restaurant, going on a date, going to church,” superintendent Jim Verlengia said during the assembly. “I just wanted to assure you that we are doing everything we can, and continue and enhance everything we can do to ensure your safety.”

During the assembly, Verlengia spoke about the precautions the district has been making after the tragedy in Florida. The superintendent said the district will continue to do their part to keep a safe learning environment at Colfax-Mingo, but they cannot better protect their schools without help from the students.

“The only way we are going to get better at that is for you to have a voice. To stand up,” the superintendent said to the student body. “If you hear something, say something. If you see something, say something. You are the ones that will hear it and know it first ... we need your help.”

Verlengia said in the coming months, the district will perform security audits to make sure the correct protocol and safety precautions are being made at the elementary and high school.

The superintendent said the district scheduled meetings with Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and local city law enforcement to see how to enhance safety at the school and retrain the staff in the active shooter response training, ALICE – alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate.

Verlengia said it has been some time since the C-M staff has received ALICE training. With the recent events in Florida, he said it seems appropriate to revisit the training. The superintendent said he hopes to get students trained, as well. He said he hopes to have an intruder safety drill in the near future.

The need for the district to define a positive school culture was a main point the superintendent reiterated multiple times during the assembly.

“We often talk about school pride, whether it be on our floor, on our court, on our mat, in competitions we have in our creative arts. School pride for me begins when I walk the halls and look into a classroom,” Verlengia said. “I always hear our athletic teams say defend the mat, defend this, defend our house. We need to defend our nest if we are truly Tigerhawks. We do not defend it with violence. We defend it by building a culture where those of you who feel different are welcome, where those of you who are a different school color, or different orientation or different gender have a place.”

To help define that culture, the superintendent asked students and staff members to step forward and work together.

From the Florida shooting survivors holding rallies to students inventing new ways to keep classrooms secure in case of another tragedy, Verlengia asked students to follow their example and search for ways to make C-M a safer place for everyone.

“We heard about the students speaking out about (the Florida shooting), how some of the students don’t feel safe in schools anymore, and how a lot of students and schools around (the country) are doing things to keep their school safe,” senior Annalee Workman said. “It is safe to say (here at Colfax-Mingo), we think of each other as a family. We need to look out for one another.”

The superintendent said as students in every district deal with their own struggles and personal difficulties, it is also important to consider dangers like the tragedy in Florida are not restricted to large schools.

“Since it was so far away, the thought didn’t come to me that that could happen our school. With our superintendent coming and speaking about it, it makes it very real for me,” senior Megan Earles said. “That it can happen to anyone.”

In addition to Thursday’s quick assembly, the superintendent sent out a message later that evening to Colfax-Mingo parents, recapping what was covered in the assembly from the ALICE training to security upgrades. In the message, Verlengia advised the parents to reach out to the district with their concerns or suggestions in keeping C-M safe.

“I want (the district) to have an environment where (a student’s) only job is to come here and learn, be the best (they) can be,” the superintendent said. “Let’s learn from the unfortunate tragedies that we hear, and build a better place for ourselves to be able to move forward.”

Contact Anthony Victor Reyes at areyes@jaspercountytribune.com