Many New Jersey school districts refocused on enhanced safety measures following the horrific school shooting massacre in Uvalde, Texas in May. Wayne, Middletown, and the Chathams are among districts promising to hire a police officer for every school this year. “The situation in Texas prompted us to say, ‘Listen, we have the funding, we’re able to do it.’ And I think parents ultimately feel a certain amount of comfort when they drive to school every day and they drop off their children and they’re greeted by our school resource officer and our administrators,” said Wayne district Superintendent Mark Toback.
Wayne also installed a $2 million camera surveillance network across its school system. Many districts will practice shooter lockdown drills when classes resume this fall. Meanwhile, new proposed legislation would have high school students train in how to apply first aid to gunshot wounds in mass shooting situations.
