On Monday, Marshall County Schools Superintendent Trent Lovett invited anyone with concerns over school safety to speak with him as the district looks at ways to protect students.
Lovett made his remarks during the Marshall County Board of Education’s regularly monthly meeting following comments by Judge Executive Kevin Neal. A former law enforcement officer and Marine veteran, Neal offered suggestions to the board and said he was speaking on behalf of concerned parents who had contacted his office.
Lovett said metal detectors — a safety measure mentioned by Neal and often discussed in the media — would be set off “by every student” coming into the high school, requiring them to be pulled aside and checked with a handheld device, something Lovett said is already happening. Lovett released an update Friday on what steps the district is taking to provide a safe learning environment, but said he has not heard from many over the changes.
“I have had very, very few of any parents come to me and talk to me about it,” Lovett said. “I’ll be glad to listen to any parent. My door is open. I had six students today and I asked them ‘What can we do different?'”
Neal said the school’s changes so far had not been enough.
“I believe your current efforts to secure Marshall County High School fall short,” Neal said addressing the board. “Just two deputies is a weak presence at best on a campus the size of Marshall County [High School]…. The measures that have been taken to protect our students, teachers and staff are inadequate. It’s also left myself and countless parents and community members upset that adequate protection has not been put in place.”
Neal criticized calling safety measures as a “knee jerk reaction” and labeling school shooters as mentally ill.
Neal did commend limiting entrances to four at MCHS, as well as a tip line put in place in recent weeks.
Board member Randy Travis said the school and staff are doing an “excellent job” with changes implemented since the Jan. 23 shooting that claimed the lives of two MCHS students.
“We’re going to get everybody’s input and make the best decisions,” Travis said. “We will make the best choice for the kids. We want some expert opinions. We appreciate [Neal’s] opinion.”