Kalamazoo Public Schools’ superintendent outlined new safety steps October 22 after a student brought a firearm into Kalamazoo Central High School October 16.
Superintendent Dr. Darrin Slade gave the Board of Education an account of the incident and the district’s response. The board took no action on the item. The next board meeting is November 5.
What the superintendent reported. Dr. Slade said that on October 16 a student walked through the school’s weapon detector with a gun concealed in a backpack and the detector did not alert, so no secondary search took place. He said someone reported the gun to administrators, and administrators, school resource officers and police acted promptly to find it. He said a police officer’s first look through the emptied backpack did not find the gun, and it was located after the student told the officer where it was. He said the student was detained and an investigation began.
Findings and changes. Dr. Slade said the district’s review found that staff followed procedures, but that there are areas to improve. He said he believed the detectors were set to the standard level, not the highest. The district will:
- Turn all weapon detectors to a higher setting.
- Not let a student go to class after an alarm until the cause is resolved.
- Run the bag back through the detector, and use the handheld wand more consistently.
- Review expectations with secondary principals.
- Explore other options, including X-ray screening, through teacher, parent and student advisory groups.
He said the district began daily use of weapon detectors last school year and that no security measure is foolproof. He also said the district sent an automated call to families the day of the incident, which he described as standard procedure, and that it takes days to confirm details.
Public comment. Several parents and community members asked the board for more direct communication with families, release of surveillance video with students’ identities protected, a review of how secondary searches are done, and a plain-language written report on what changed. One speaker proposed requiring clear bags and one bag per student. Other speakers thanked staff and credited students who spoke up.
What’s next. The district will hold a safety and security meeting for families October 28 at 5 p.m. at Kalamazoo Central.
