Discussion in Craven County looks for ways to keep kids safe at school

CRAVEN COUNTY, NC (WITN) -After September’s deadly shooting at Northside Jacksonville High School, concerns about school safety are starting to grow in communities around the East.

Craven County law enforcement, school administrators and Congressman Greg Murphy all came together Thursday afternoon to talk about the recurring theme.

West Craven High School Principal Montrell Lee believes in the motto of being ready, so you don’t have to.

“Preparing our students for any situation is very vital,” Lee said. “That way in an emergency it’s not foreign to them, it’s not the first time they’ve been exposed to it.”

The roundtable gave officials the opportunity to discuss improving school security measures, while also touching on current challenges. Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes says safety should be a priority.

“It’s so important to know the timing of this because parents want to make sure their kids are safe at school, they want to make sure they’re in a safe learning environment,” Hughes said. “With everything that’s going on in the country right now, it’s very important that we meet to let the public know what we’re doing.”

During the discussion, West Craven High School administrators mentioned the importance of lockdown drills, especially after the school went into one earlier this week due to a possible threat.

Lee, who has spent his entire educational career in Craven County schools, says hearing input from students is what he’d like to see going forward.

“The feedback students give us, what we can do to improve, what worked well,” Lee said. “That’s vital because again all we do is they hear directly from the students. They are the ones who, when they see something, say something.”

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