Dear Spring Valley High School Families,
I am writing to let you know that this afternoon a weapon was confiscated from a student. I know this is alarming to hear so let me assure you that the situation was addressed swiftly, our students and employees are safe, and we have been able to continue with our school day without interruption.
The weapon was found after our school received a tip that a student was talking about having a gun at school today. Immediately upon receiving the tip, school administrators and our School Resource Officers located the student and took possession of the student’s book bag. A hand gun was found while conducting a search of the book bag in an administrative office. So far in the investigation, we do not have any evidence to indicate that the student threatened to harm anyone at school.
School administrators and our SROs are following district procedures and board policy in administering disciplinary and legal consequences. Making sure our students and employees are safe remains our top priority, and anyone who compromises the safety of our campus faces serious consequences. In accordance with state and federal law, Richland Two Board Policy JICI states that a student who brings a weapon to school faces expulsion of no less than one year.
I assure you that school and district leaders understand how concerning it is for parents and students to learn about a weapon on campus. We all share the alarm and concern at this growing problem, and we must all work together to prevent our children from getting access to weapons. Our district’s partners BeSMART and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department provide free gun locks, available by calling 803-576-3498. For more information on BeSMART’s efforts to help parents talk with their children about gun safety and take responsible actions to prevent children from getting access to weapons visit their website at www.BeSMARTforKids.org. Also, Richland Two’s Office of Emergency and Security Services will conduct random metal detector screenings at high schools starting this month. The district will be providing more information about these screenings in a safety update.
Thank you for helping us keep our school a safe place for teaching and learning. If you have any questions or concerns about school safety, please contact a school administrator.
How many words would be in Principal Temoney's announcement if you cut out all the boilerplate and P.R. nonsense? The District probably has a form letter, pre-approved by the lawyers, for explaining away how much it cares.
Anyone care to comment on the effectiveness of the BeSmart initiative coordinated by Supt. Baron Davis and Richland Two last December?
Or about the effectiveness of the Committee of the Whole on Safety and Security?
