OHIO — Violence from a deadly school shooting in Oregon is putting a new focus on school safety in Ohio.
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A 16-year-old opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three children and a teacher.
Another teacher and a child are in the hospital with critical injuries.
Parents are now wondering how to explain this to their children.
“It is gut-wrenching and heartbreaking,” Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, said.
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Despite his decades in law enforcement, these tragedies are always difficult and put a renewed focus on school safety.
“We need trained people in schools to deal with these types of situations. We have seen 100% the value of it being a professional law enforcement officer,” Canady said.
School safety is an issue News Center 7 has covered for years.
In 2022, state lawmakers made it legal for schools to have armed response teams.
In an emergency, the specially trained group of staff would have access to a secured gun on campus.
“It’s my responsibility to protect our students at Mad River Schools,” Chad Wyen, superintendent at Mad River Schools, said.
In 2024, News Center 7 talked with Wyen.
The district has had some form of an armed response team since 2017.
“Unfortunately, there’s no way our first responders can get here quick enough to stop an active shooter, and that’s why we have a response team,” Wyen said in 2024.
The Ohio School Safety Center works with districts across the state to make schools safer.
From training armed response teams to working with schools directly on preparedness plans.
Last month, News Center 7 reported that schools are using the center for an extra set of eyes at large events.
“I’m familiar with that school safety center, and they do a great job,” Canady said.
He said the statewide school safety model is one that he believes is making a difference.
“It’s another massive layer of safety and security that gets put in place,” Canady said.
There are schools in Montgomery, Greene, Clark, Shelby, Preble, and Auglaize counties that have armed response teams:
- Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local School District
- Benjamin Logan Local Schools
- Buckeye Community School Springfield
- Calvary Christian School
- East Dayton Christian School
- Fairborn City Schools
- Geneva Academy
- Hardin-Houston School
- Jackson Center Schools
- Kirkmont Presbyterian Church/ Preschool
- Mad River Local School District
- Miami Valley Career Technology Center
- New Lebanon Local School District
- Ohio Hi-Point Career Center
- Preble Shawnee Local Schools
- Russia Local School
- Sidney City Schools
- St. Mary’s City Schools
- St. Peter School
- The Greater Dayton School
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