by Laurika Pich ‘27

As the first quarter of the school year comes to an end, MCPS school leaders are continuing to explore new security measures and policies in response to increasing safety concerns. Incidents have occurred in recent years, including bomb threats, student arrests for bringing guns to school, and altercations at football games. The recent high school shooting in Georgia, which resulted in the death of two students and two teachers, has intensified parent concerns even further.

Montgomery County Police Acting Assistant Chief David McBain emphasizes the importance of comprehensive safety measures. Doing so would demonstrate the goal to ensure safety “inside the school, outside the school, around the schools, and obviously, to provide safe routes to school,” commented McBain in an interview with Moco 360. This commitment is shared by new Superintendent Thomas Taylor, who has school safety in MCPS as his “No. 1 priority.”

Taylor’s approach focuses on improving emergency preparedness through active communication and collaboration. Marcus Jones, serving as the head of security and compliance for MCPS, is developing a culture that emphasizes collective responsibility in every faculty member and other employee in maintaining a safe environment, stating “We’re all in this together.” In the process, MCPS is developing enhanced training for students and staff on school safety procedures to ensure that everyone is well-prepared for potential emergencies.

At the beginning of October, Sherwood students received new expectations for a student-identification program. MCPS has mandated that all high schools should adopt the program by November 2024 requiring staff and students to wear IDs all day.

After students received their school photo IDs for this school year, Sherwood distributed lanyards for students to attach their IDs. “Students will be required to have the ID with them at all times [in school and during school events],” said Principal Tim Britton. “However, we are not requiring the ID to be worn at all times. We will not be checking IDs at the door, but at any time security and admin can ask for identification.” This program aims to ensure quick identification of individuals on campus, enhancing the overall safety climate.

In addition to the ID program, MCPS is exploring new security enhancements, consisting of refining the system’s response to bomb threats, blocking access to social media on the MCPS network, and launching a pilot program to restrict cell phone use during school hours. Utilizing funds from a Juul Labs legal settlement will help pay for vape detectors in schools, although Britton notes, “there are still glitches being worked out with the product.” While these upgrades are in the preliminary stages, they represent a significant change in how MCPS schools address security.