A spokesperson for Montgomery County Public Schools says steps are being taken in response to an “after-action” report on the handling of the January shooting inside Magruder High School that left one student critically injured.
Chris Cram, director for the MCPS Department of Communication told WTOP that training is underway to bolster coordination between Montgomery County Police community engagement officers, or CEOs, and school staff.
The training, Cram says, is designed “to ensure we are on the same page” in emergencies and addresses topics including mental health, bullying, and security coverage of portable classrooms and athletic facilities.
The after-action report was authored by MCPS Chief Safety Officer Edward Clark and was submitted to the Maryland Center for School Safety last month, as required by state law.
Cram also said steps are being taken to make sure school staff have access to regular updates during any lockdown situations.
Among other recommendations in the report, a section labeled “Incident Observations and Lessons Learned” states that police and school officials should ensure “appropriate identified law enforcement agencies” have access to the technology (key fobs) needed to unlock exterior doors in the case of an emergency.
Cram told WTOP that making sure law enforcement agencies have the ability to unlock doors in an emergency situation “is something that has been discussed for some time.” He also said, at present, not all exterior doors in the school system use electronic keying systems.
