Local School Superintendents Address Texas Shooting Tragedy
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Several Putnam County school superintendents addressed the mass shooting at a Texas elementary school in messages to their communities.
Top officials in the Carmel, Putnam Valley and Haldane school districts all ensured parents and families there would be increased police presence in schools following the May 24 incident at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas where an 18-year-old gunman murdered 19 students and two teachers before he was shot dead by police.
Carmel Superintendent Mary-Margaret Zehr reassured families the safety of students was the district’s top priority.
“Our district will continue to maintain all the protocols and procedures that we have in place to ensure safety,” Zehr stated. “Our school resource officers work with our local and state law enforcement agencies every day to ensure the safety of all our students.”
“We will continue to keep Robb Elementary School and the Uvalde, Texas community in our thoughts as they navigate this senseless tragedy,” she added.
Putnam Valley Superintendent Dr. Jeremy Luft said the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department would be sending extra patrols and monitoring social media for any posts concerning schools.
“As a school district, we have dedicated significant time and resources to the safety and security of our buildings. While we remain confident that our schools remain a safe place for everyone, we will continue to review and, if necessary, revise any security measures that may be improved,” Luft stated. “This tragedy serves as an opportunity to thank our school resource officers and other partners in the law enforcement community for always being an active presence on our campuses.”
“Alongside the entire nation, we mourn with the Uvalde school community, especially those families directly impacted by this senseless violence,” Luft added. “Let us remind each other that we are not alone in our sadness, fear, or concern, and we belong to a community that supports each other.”
Haldane Superintendent Phil Benante said the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department and State Police would be closely monitoring schools.
“We grieve for the victims and families impacted by the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. This event, and those of similar nature that have occurred all too frequently in our schools, are deeply unsettling,” Benante stated. “This incident, and others that have occurred in the past, prompt reasonable questions about the safety and security measures that we take on campus.”
“Please know that we regularly work with our safety and security consultant, Altaris, and our partners in law enforcement to validate our best practices, identify improvement opportunities, train our staff, and maintain strong emergency response procedures.”
“While the details of these plans our confidential, I can assure you that the safety and security of our students and staff remain our priority,” he added.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
