HAMILTON COUNTY, Ind. -- Students are back in class at the 21 Hamilton Southeastern Schools in the district and school officials say as soon as students sho back up to school, their safety protocols are in action.
"This is definitely an environment of heightened awareness, and parents are justifiably so are just as concerned about safety," explains Ryan Taylor, the Director of Student Services for HSE Schools.
Taylor has been with the district in several roles for nearly two decades, and he says the safety plan is thorough and ever-changing.
"Unfortunately there isn't just a single solution, it is a multi-layered effort that is not just physical-environment setting, but it goes all the way down to emotional-social security for the kids," says Taylor.
All students and staff have active shooter training, they know to lock classroom doors during emergencies, and teachers are told to keep doors locked at all times. The schools do not have physical fencing, but visitors must enter through a secured vestibule and check in at the front desk.
Taylor says there is a new approach to security, since the Noblesville West Middle School shooting in May.
"We have since those events have occurred, I have talked about a renewed energy, really focusing in on the training, really focusing on the efforts that we are spending on the connectivity to kids," says Taylor. "We are really beefing up the mental health supports and a lot of those interventions that can assist kids when they are in crisis."
Each high school has school resource officers. There are also patrols for junior high and elementary schools. Several roaming officers are also dispatched to different schools as needed.
"We are talking about fully accredited officers who have been on the street, who know the work that a police officer would do," explains Taylor. "The trick is also do they love kids. So trying to get that perfect blend, I mean that is what really makes an SRO effective."
Parents want to see even more school resource officers.
"I think Fishers is doing a good of a job that they can," says Kelly Marburger Novak, a parent who has a 3rd grader and 6th grader in the HSE Schools District. "Like I said, they are working closely with police, fire; they have resource officers. I feel very confident about it; I think you could always want more and do more."
"I think the only thing I would like to see is a resource officer in every school, and I think they are almost there," states Angie Jaynes, a mother of 8th-grade twins in the district. "That would make me feel a lot better."
"I don't think you can prepare for something like this," says Kristin Taylor, a parent of a 3rd and 8th-grade parent. "I think we have at least made them think about what they might do so at least they can make a better decision if it did come up."
While the district cannot be an open book when it comes to their safety plan, Taylor asks for parents to trust them.
"The goal is to get us all on the same page," says Taylor. "And we do have caring adults, but it takes time, it takes trust, and I think right now that is the piece."
Hamilton Southeastern School District also took the state up on its offer to provide free metal detector wands.
HSE Schools received 91 handheld metal detectors for coverage of all 21 building and more than 21,000 students.
RTV6 is told the district's school safety team is working on drafting a policy that will need to go through an approval process with administrators and the school board on how the wands will be used before they get put into circulation. The schools also have to conduct training with staff on proper use of the wands.
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