$50 million over four years: How Fayette County has made public schools more secure

Over the past four years, the Lexington community has helped fund more than $50 million in health and safety measures at every Fayette County public school.

A Texas school shooting left at least 19 students and two adults dead Tuesday, prompting questions about security and safety in school buildings around the United States.

Since 2018, Fayette County Public Schools has hired nearly 100 additional nurses and mental health professionals, built secure vestibules on every campus, added door alarms to all exterior doors, upgraded building security features and doubled the number of police officers serving schools, Superintendent Demetrus Liggins said.

Fayette County Public Schools created a Comprehensive 10-Point Safety Plan, which draws upon the best practices in Kentucky and the United States in all aspects of school safety, district officials said Wednesday.

Safety measures

Here are some current safety initiatives from the school district:

▪ Since 2018, the school district has hired 74 district mental health professionals to provide direct service to students.

National best practice guidelines call for one student support staff member for every 350 students. In Fayette County, that ratio is at most 250 to one in every school and special program. Ratios are even lower for some most vulnerable populations.

The district also ensures help is available after school by staffing “second shift” mental health professionals who are available until 11 p.m. during the week.

▪ The district also works with an external company to monitor publicly available social media posts and district-issued computers and alert staff when students may be in need of additional support.

▪ Full-time nurses have been hired in all middle and high schools, with plans to add a full-time nurse in every elementary school over the next two years.

▪ Comprehensive school health clinics have been opened in two schools and renovated in another to add additional capacity.

▪ The district has purchased and implemented an age-appropriate social and emotional learning curriculum for all schools and special programs and expanded training and learning opportunities for staff, students, families and community stakeholders regarding safety, emergency preparation, and mental health.

▪ Since 2018, FCPS has gone from 36 police officers to 70. There are four officers at each high school, one officer at every middle and special program school, and 23 officers shared among 39 elementary schools.

▪ Every school building in Fayette County Public Schools has a secure vestibule at a single point of entry.

▪ All high schools are equipped with walk-through metal detectors monitored by security ambassadors.

▪ Security alarms have been installed on all exterior doors to alert staff of potential unauthorized entry and upgrades have been completed to cameras, security systems and other building safety enhancements.

▪ Identification badges are required for all employees and contractors, as well as middle and high school students. Student badges also list phone numbers where students can get assistance for issues of safety and mental health.

Each component of the plan works in tandem, going beyond facility upgrades to also address school climate and culture, social emotional learning, planning, prevention, training, communication, and physical and mental well-being.

“Our goal is not only to prevent a school shooting, but also to mitigate the other risks our students face including bullying, self-harm, suicide, drug use, online exploitation, trauma and community-based issues,” according to the district website.

How plan was developed

After 2018 school shootings in Marshall County, Kentucky, and Parkland, Florida, the late Superintendent Manny Caulk convened the Fayette County Public Schools District Safety Advisory Council to examine best practices in school safety and develop recommendations to ensure that children were safe at school, at home, and in the community.

While the council was working, Fayette County had some significant safety incidents.

After removing an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition from his bedroom, the Lexington Police in 2018 arrested a student who had reportedly threatened violence at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.

In the span of just nine days, a student at Henry Clay High School was arrested for bringing a loaded gun to school, and a student at Frederick Douglass High School accidentally shot himself in class with a gun he had in his pocket.

The 10-point plan was developed based on recommendations from the District Safety Advisory Council, which was composed of 28 students, parents, educators, first responders, city officials, and business, faith, and community leaders selected for their experience and expertise in the area of safety and emergency management.

After considering other ways of funding the investments, the Fayette County Board of Education voted in 2018 to approve a 5-cent property tax to pay for the safety plan.

This story was originally published May 26, 2022 at 6:00 AM.