News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 21, 2000
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke calls on schools to review school safety plans

SEATTLE - This week's incident involving a middle school student discharging a gun in a crowded school cafeteria is a stark reminder of how important safety is, Gov. Gary Locke said today.

After visiting with school officials, parents, students and counselors at Dimmitt Middle School in Renton, Locke joined Seattle School Superintendent Joseph Olchefske to call on all schools in Washington to carefully review their school safety plans before school sessions begin again this fall.

"An essential part of school safety means districts must continuously review and improve their safety plans," Locke said. "Comprehensive school safety plans cannot just be checklists; they must be frameworks for continuous improvement."

Locke said the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction provides tools that can help school districts review and evaluate their plans to find out where they need more focus and assistance. A comprehensive plan includes elements that relate to prevention, such as crisis planning and advice on ways to tell adults about potential threats to safety. Plans should cover intervention methods, such as peer mediation and ways to deal with disruptive students. A school plan also should cover crisis response, such as lockdown procedures and coordination with local emergency services. An effective plan also covers counseling and community support systems.

Locke plans to visit schools across the state to learn more about their safety plans. He also wants to reconvene the Youth Safety Advisory Committee, which was a part of a Youth Safety Summit co-sponsored in 1998 with Dr. Terry Bergeson. The summit produced recommendations that shaped legislative proposals leading to $17 million in safe schools funding in the last two legislative sessions.

"Every day, our schools work hard to keep our schools a safe, positive learning environment for both students and staff," Locke said. "It is imperative that students, families, school staff and community members continue their work to ensure a learning environment that is safe for everyone."

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