Officials react to school shootings in other areas

By Steve Moyer

Nevada Daily Mail

"It can't happen here." That's what people have said at nearly every school shooting around the country, from this week's assaults at Lancaster County, Penn., to Bailey, Colo., where some of the same first responders came from who faced the much publicized attacks on Colum-bine High School in Littleton, Colo., in 1999.

School administrators in Nevada face the unpleasant task of preparing for what they, and all school administrators everywhere, hope will never happen, violence in their school.

R-5 Superintendent Craig Noah said, "In light of the national occurrences it always causes us to reevaluate our security procedures."

The district will bring together members of the administration to look at what is currently in place and what can be done to improve security.

"Next week we are holding a table-top discussion with our staff and faculty to re-evaluate our situation. The approach you have to take is 'It can happen here'," Noah said.

Noah said the security precautions detract from one of the aspects of the school as a forum for education.

"It's sad because schools are a great place. They're a place to open up and learn. They're a community," Noah said.

Nevada schools won't be caught napping, administrators will think the unthinkable and attempt to pro-actively protect the students in their care, according to Noah.

"Before we need to have something, we're going to have it," Noah said. "You can never assume anything. You hate to think something might happen but you have to prepare for it just the same."

Keeping the students safe from harm while giving them as much freedom to learn and to accomplish their goals is hard but Noah is determined to do it.

"That's a difficult task, but that's what we're charged with," Noah said.