School safety was the focus of a meeting of state lawmakers, school administrators and others Monday in Mason.
The Ingham Intermediate School District invited dozens of local officials to discuss how to keep schools safe in the wake of mass shootings like the one at Oxford High School last year.
Williamston superintendent Adam Spina says his district is going through a comprehensive review of its emergency operations plan this summer. Additionally, secured entrances are being installed at the last two Williamston schools without them.
“We’re adding additional school resource officers,” Spina said. “In collaboration with the Williamston Police Department.”
Williamston has also ordered door barriers for all classrooms.
Senate Democrat Curtis Hertel Jr. says there's been plenty of conversation at the Capitol about hardening schools and student mental health, and money in the new budget will help. But, he went on to denounce what he sees as the unwillingness of Republicans to even discuss gun control measures that are popular with voters.
“I hear a lot from my colleagues, unfortunately, about the things that we won’t do before we talk about the things that we will do, because they’re afraid to have a conversation about guns,” Hertel said. “And at the end of the day, it’s impossible to have these conversations without talking about guns.”
Several other Democrats joined Hertel at Monday’s meeting at the Ingham Intermediate School District. No Republicans attended.