Oregon school districts highlight safety measures in light of tragedy in Georgia

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — As an entire nation grapples with the tragic school shooting in Georgia on Wednesday that left four dead, local school districts in Oregon are highlighting the safety measures they have in place for such a scenario.

"There is a tragedy that has taken place that we're all becoming aware of and, again, that can cause unexpected emotions in us to take care of yourself, take care of one another," said Beth Graser, a spokesperson for Hillsboro School District.

The Hillsboro School District has an intricate alarm system they use to keep kids under a watchful eye. Each school and district building has a panic button and alarm that goes off when pressed. You also need a key card to get into the building.

These safety measures are all thanks to a bond measure passed in 2017.

On top of that, Hillsboro is one of the districts that uses school resource offices in partnership with the Hillsboro Police Department. It's all part of an ongoing effort to keep kids and others safe when they come to school.

"We partner with our law enforcement and emergency services personnel to ensure that we're drilling on these types of things," Graser said.

She added that as sad as it is to have to prepare for something like a school shooting, it's better to have the tools to take "the appropriate actions" at the moment.

"And then, you know, obviously, neutralizing that threat as soon as possible, mitigating the impact and, keeping everybody as safe as they can," Graser said.

It can be traumatizing to read about events like these in the news. That's why the Hillsboro School District has resources online for students, showing them how they can deal with grief, loss or tragedy.

For Reynolds School District, the tragedy in Georgia cuts close to home. Back in 2014, a 14-year-old high school student was shot and killed by another student after they brought a rifle to school in a guitar case. A teacher was also wounded.

It's instances like these where school resource officers are important, said Steven Padilla, a Reynolds School District spokesperson. SROs came to the rescue during another incident at the district back in 2022, he said.

"There was a shooting behind the park, and it was literally within, I think they said, like, 37 seconds that they were out there responding to the incident," Padilla said.

The officers also make connections with the students, he said.

"Their first priority is just to really, you know, be there for the young people," Padilla said.

In terms of how Portland metro area students are feeling following the news, many of them told KOIN 6 News they're naturally shaken up. However, some said they're also feeling somewhat desensitized to tragedies like this because they see it on social media so much.

"It's really scary, I feel really bad," one student said.

In particular, the shocking details that the boy accused of the shooting in Georgia is just 14 years old and that he allegedly killed two fellow students and two teachers is hard for local students to wrap their minds around.

"When you constantly see it and hear about it, it's like, the more you hear about, the less you're like, I really can feel how it really is," the student said.

Staff members from both Reynolds School District and Hillsboro School District told KOIN 6 News they want to be there for kids as they cope with potential trauma left behind after a tragedy like this. They said if any students want to just vent, they're all ears.