Friday's Tragedy in Santa Fe, Texas
May 18, 2018
Dear Lindbergh Community,
It is with a very heavy heart that I write this message to you. Today, our nation is mourning another tragic school shooting in Texas that has taken the lives of nine students and one teacher, and injured several more. I am struggling to understand how an event this horrific has become anything other than an extremely rare, almost unheard of occurrence. During times like these, it is important to reach out and remind our entire community that now, more than ever, we are acutely focused on safety in our own schools. We challenge ourselves to do everything in our power to prevent a similar tragedy from taking place here in Lindbergh, because first and foremost, our schools must be safe, secure places for students to learn.
Your student’s safety is always our number one concern. That is more than something we say, it is a reality we devote resources to every day. Our School Resource Officers, security officers, teachers, staff and administrators are vigilant in their awareness and training. Events like this remind us all how necessary it is to do everything we can to protect our kids and keep them safe. In the months since the Parkland tragedy, Lindbergh administrators have taken even more steps to educate staff and students about prevention, preparation and response to emergency situations in our schools. Recent actions include:
- All K-12 school staff participated in a half-day active intruder refresher training with St. Louis County police officers (ECE staff will complete the training this month)
- All schools have participated in intruder drills, with staff implementing up-to-date information and procedures from their St. Louis County Police training
- Lindbergh School Resource Officers met with St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar and SROs from across St. Louis to collaborate and improve protection of St. Louis County schools
- District administrators met with Crestwood, Sunset Hills and St. Louis County police departments to coordinate emergency response procedures and ensure open communication
- District administrators met with local and state elected officials, Missouri Highway Patrol, local law enforcement and district parents to discuss how the Missouri legislature can better support school safety needs
- Lindbergh’s District Safety Committee developed recommendations for future drill protocols and emergency response communication
- District allocated additional funds to mental health professionals, hiring an additional counselor and adding social worker hours
- District Communications Department met with St. Louis County Police Public Information Officer to discuss how to coordinate communication in an emergency
Recent construction has equipped all of our early childhood, elementary and middle schools with secure, locked entrances. We are realistic that Lindbergh High School remains the building in need of the most safety and security improvements. Further improving security and safety at LHS must remain a priority, and I want to assure parents that the Board of Education and administration are having conversations to plan for significant future facility improvements.
Our prayers are with the families in Santa Fe, Texas, but our minds are focused on the action we can take locally. As your superintendent, I want you to know that my team is doing everything in our power to prevent a tragedy of this magnitude from ever happening in Lindbergh Schools. We are fortunate to have so many caring teachers, staff and administrators who remain committed to keeping our children safe. This weekend, you may be looking for a resource to help you talk about this event with your children. Here is an article that can help:
Sincerely,
Dr. Jim Simpson
Superintendent, Lindbergh Schools