Around 10:20 a.m. (EDT), on Sept. 4, 2024, the first day of school for West Albany students, 14-year-old Colt Gray opened fire at Georgia Apalachee High School. Allegedly, 11 people were injured, and four people lost their lives: two teachers and two students. Such a large-scale school shooting, especially one that got so much media attention, happening so early in the year is uncommon.
With the media attention, concerns started to rise among the community.
“I didn’t [follow the story closely],” said Administrator Jessica Smith, “I think concerns are already high. I think people are already hyper-aware.”
Students like freshman Riley Smith (no relation) have concerns about safety at WAHS following the shooting in Georgia.
“I do fear that it might happen here. So I am trying my hardest to not think about that, and hopefully, it won’t ever happen,” said Riley Smith.
Along with understanding the risks from an administrator’s perspective, Jessica Smith also understands from a parent’s perspective. She is a parent to three kids: one college-aged, one high school-aged, and one elementary-aged. Jessica Smith’s elementary and high school-aged children attend school in the Greater Albany Public School District.
“I feel very trusting of the other administrators in the district. Knowing the training they’ve received and what our protocols are makes me feel better,” said Jessica Smith.
There are many ways staff and students can help keep WAHS safer. Such as only using the C-Hall doors and Front Entrance to enter and exit the school to help monitor the people coming in and out of the campus. Staff in the GAPS school district also go through training to ensure that schools stay safe.
“We train teachers just like we train students on our lockdown drills and our safety protocols,” said Jessica Smith. “There’s a district-wide safety committee that every school has representatives for. So there’s a lot of thought and intentionality in our training and in our processes.”
Along with trusting and understanding the training administrators undergo and knowing what the standards are, Jessica Smith also has had conversations with her children about what to do in the event of a school lockdown.
“It’s an unfortunate reality of being a parent right now,” said Jessica Smith. “It’s the same conversation you have when you talk about fire safety at home; like you don’t hide from the firefighters, you have a protocol, and you know what the plan is.”
Riley Smith has also spoken with her parents at home about what to do if school went into lockdown.
“They say, make sure you have your phone on you and make sure that you are safe and you know where to go [afterward,]” said Riley Smith.
As well as talking with her children about what to do in the event of a lockdown, Jessica Smith has also had conversations with her children about how to help prevent such a situation from happening in the first place.
“We talk a lot about if something doesn’t feel right, or if you’re concerned about a friend… [make] sure you tell your teacher, or you tell somebody at school, ”said Jessica Smith.
The same mindset is encouraged by administrators to help ensure safety within our communities and schools.
“See something, say something that’s the biggest one, that’s what keeps us safe, something doesn’t feel right, or you hear kids talking about something that doesn’t sound right, go to an adult immediately,” said Jessica Smith.
To prevent events like this from happening, people should use the support within schools and their communities to reach out, either for themselves or if they’re concerned about someone else.
“I truly believe that the relationships that we build with our students and taking care of people that’s what makes the difference,” said Jessica Smith.
