MCPS officials introduced several new policies to enhance school safety for the upcoming school year during an Aug. 20 Board of Education meeting. The new policies prioritize the safety of students and staff, highlighting the district’s dedication to ensuring a secure environment for all.
New MCPS Superintendent Dr. Thomas W. Taylor told the Board that there is a “renewed emphasis on school safety,” following over 4,000 serious incidents reported during the 2023-2024 school year.
Toward the end of the 2023-2024 school year, Whitman faced two bomb threats, prompting building evacuations. The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) determined both threats to be unfounded. Additionally, the MCPD arrested a Wootton High School student for allegedly planning a school shooting in a 129-page “fictional story/manifesto,” according to charging documents. At an April press conference, former MCPD Chief Marcus Jones said the police department had received 140 school threats countywide in the 2023-2024 school year.
In April, former Student Member of the Board Sami Saeed voiced disappointment over the board’s slow action on safety policies. Now, county administrators have strengthened safety protocols.
To enhance campus safety and ensure a secure learning environment, the Board expanded the mandatory ID program to all MCPS high schools after officials piloted it in five high schools last school year.
Starting on Nov. 6, Whitman will require students and staff to visibly wear their school-issued IDs at all times while on campus. To assist with compliance, Whitman will provide lanyards and ID holders. The main office will also issue temporary sticker IDs to students who forget or lose their IDs.
In an interview, Security Team Leader Clarence Dove said mandatory IDs are an important step in enhancing campus security. He stated that the program aims to prevent trespassers from entering the school building.
English teacher Cody Therrien noted other security concerns at Whitman left unaddressed by the program, including the open main entrance during lunch and the presence of a food delivery table that trespassers could exploit.
“Everyone wearing an ID is not fixing the actual problem with security that we have here, which is that it’s a pretty open campus,” Therrien said.
MCPS and the MCPD plan to strengthen collaboration and communication regarding school safety in the future. MCPS has also updated its hate-bias response protocols to guide administrators’ response to hateful acts. The new protocols implement a tiered response where staff members only contact police in situations involving a serious incident like student fights or vandalism. According to a presentation outlining the system, this change aims to “more accurately reflect the situation and more effectively respond.”
On Oct. 8, the Montgomery County Council unanimously approved using $2 million to install vape detectors in high school bathrooms scheduled for this school year. This money comes from a state grant created after a Juul e-cigarette company settled to pay Maryland $7.5 million for allegedly marketing its products to minors. In the 2022-2023 school year, Whitman installed vape detectors in bathrooms to discourage vaping as part of MCPS’ Vape Detection System Pilot Program. However, the school has since removed those vape detectors.
At a recent media briefing, Security and Compliance Chief Marcus Jones said that MCPS is in the “early stages” of considering adding weapons detectors to school entrances. However, the budget for this school year does not include funds for these detectors, and the Board would likely need to approve any implementation.
In the 2023-2024 school year, all high schools in neighboring Prince George’s County installed weapons detectors and required students to use clear backpacks as part of new security measures directed at reducing the rise in gun incidents.
Installation of weapons detectors in schools has been controversial, with some experts claiming they are not worth the high cost and instill a prison-like feeling among students.
“[Students] can’t learn without feeling safe, without feeling supported, and we have some work to do in that space,” Taylor said at a virtual press briefing in August. “I think we have taken the right steps and the right measures to move us towards that.”
