Michigan schools look to cut down on threat-related shutdowns

NILES, Mich.— Last school year, local school districts in Michigan were getting shut down weekly and kids were getting arrested for making shooting threats on social media or in person. This year, school leaders are working to make them more secure.

A new back-to-school study claimed school shootings are now the top safety concern for parents and children in grade school. Only 31% of participants think their kids are very safe at school. That’s opposed to 43% who have either considered changing schools—or have already changed schools—because of safety concerns.

After the deadly Oxford shooting in Michigan, schools in Berrien and Cass Counties started getting threat after threat.

Superintendent Travis Walker for Brandywine Community Schools said at the end of last school year, a small handful of threats came to his attention.

“We don’t know that there was ever any imminent danger, that anybody had plans in place, but all threats were taken seriously,” Walker said.

The tips, he said, came straight from students.

“We’re small enough that we have that family-like atmosphere,” he said.

Now, something the district is looking at is an anonymous Google call line for such tips. Also, there is now a counselor in every Brandywine building, and a social worker for the district. This, he said, enhances school safety and the mental health of students.

“Everyday you come to work, you try to plan and prepare for all the what ifs, and the school safety is always one of those,” Walker said.

Niles Community Schools, on the other hand, was lucky enough not to get any such threats for shootings. But Superintendent, Dr. Dan Applegate, said they were still rattled by nearby and national events.

“What can we learn from that,” Applegate asked, “and how can we implement what we’ve learned here?”

He said one measure the district took was to initiate and host extra emergency training.

“The most important thing we’ve done is opened up our school to all local emergency personnel to actually train in our buildings,” he said. “That way, they can work on their skills, but also within our environment, so they know our environment when they come.”

Both superintendents said that for the most part, they trust their students to come forward with tips.

“Honestly, any kind of safety threat, the kids typically do know,” Applegate said.