Courtesy of the Perry Iowa Community Page

The leader of the Perry Community School District is reiterating that safety is the top priority.

Superintendent Clark Wicks explains that the school board received a petition from concerned parents regarding safety protocols the district is taking following the tragic shooting that occurred on January 4th, 2024. He confirms the board receded the petition, emphasizing that Perry School Officials have been working closely with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies pertaining to the ongoing safety and security of the school community. 

Wicks shares that within the conversations, the board has been advised that weapon detection systems have shown to have high rates of false positives, and clear or no backpack policies correlate to a negative mental well-being as well as the school climate. He outlines that the board has gone to several conferences featuring safety experts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency. Wicks unveils the similar message that was told to them was solving potential issues within the school district.

“As parents, as grandparents, as community members, and as a school, we have to as partners to make sure our school is safe each and every day, and we all have a part in that. I know that as a school we try to have people at our one entry, and we also meet every month with law enforcement on any red flags that may be popping up.”

Wicks adds that the school district is bringing in Hazel Health as an online provider, which will give students an avenue of accessible care to give them the resources they need.