CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) -
Despite the prevalence of school shootings in America,
including the deadly
February 27th shooting outside Cleveland at Chardon
High School, 145 schools in Ohio still have not filed the required school
safety plan and floor plans with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, his office
said tonight.
FOX19 obtained a list of the schools not in compliance and
discovered that more than a dozen of them are in our viewing area.
Among them: North College Hill Middle School,
seven schools belonging to the Cincinnati
Archdiocese, Cincinnati
State STEM Academy, Impact Academy Cincinnati, and the College Hill
Leadership Academy, among others. (The full list is available at the end of
this article.)
"After the shooting that occurred earlier this year in
Chardon, and several times since, I urged schools around Ohio who had not yet
filed school safety plans to do so," Attorney General DeWine said in a
statement. "These plans are critical for first responders to respond to
incidents at school facilities."
Public schools in Cincinnati are in compliance.
"We even have, in partnership with the police, had drills
--- active shooter drills --- which would be similar to the scenario that
happened today in Connecticut," said Cincinnati Public Schools' spokeswoman,
Janet Walsh.
Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, has a
brand new security system. But someone buzzed shooter Adam Lanza into the
building Friday morning, likely recognizing him since his
mother was a teacher at the school.
A similar security system exists in public schools in
Cincinnati.
"There is an automatic lockdown system and anyone who gets
into the school has to be buzzed through the office," said Walsh.
In an age when video of incomprehensible violence like the
nation witnessed Friday is broadcast on TV's, computers, and cell phones it can
be hard to shield children from it all.
"The first thing you want to do is just assure your child
that they're safe," said Cincinnati Public Schools' psychologist Ron Miller.
"Schools are one of the safest places for kids to be because of the plans that
schools have in place, because of the people that are there, as well."
In light of what happened in Connecticut, Cincinnati area
school leaders who have not filed plans with the attorney general will likely
face a lot of tough questions in the days ahead.
To see a full list of the Ohio schools who have not yet submitted a safely plan, click here.
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