By Philip Haldiman, Independent Newsmedia

Many reactive questions came out of the Florida shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Feb. 14, that left 17 people dead.

But the big question Peoria Unified School District and public safety officials asked in the wake of that horrific tragedy was proactive: What can be done better?

Then, only a week later, 18-year-old Liberty High School student Michael Helt was arrested after having a gun in his vehicle while on campus.

In the days and weeks following the Florida mass shooting, students from Scottsdale, Phoenix and Parker were also arrested for gun possession on their campuses.

But by then officials and many others in the Northwest Valley were hard at work trying to answer that question.

The district took immediate action in creating a task force and hosting its first meeting Feb. 16.

It is made up of district staff, local law enforcement officers, community organizations, parents and state officials to assess the district’s current safety model. The goal of the task force is to enhance safety measures focusing on preparedness, intervention and advocacy

Interim Superintendent Linda Palles Thompson said since that heartbreaking event took place, Peoria Unified’s administration has reviewed its safety plans, had countless discussions with concerned parents, students and staff members and reassessed the district’s long-range plan around school safety.

The task force’s work will be a part of the district’s focused efforts, with some immediate action and some long-range goals, to enhance safety measures, she said.

She asked everybody in the community to join in approaching school safety with a calm confidence that the district’s teachers and administrators have the students’ best interest as their number one priority.

“While no amount of planning can guarantee that a tragedy will be averted, we do everything in our power to keep students and staff safe,” she said.

Ms. Palles Thompson said to prepare for tragedies, school leaders work with local law enforcement officers to role-play different crisis scenarios. Schools have lock-down procedures, drills and plans in the event of an emergency. She said the district does not post these plans publicly for safety reasons, but encourages parents and guardians to ask their child’s principal if they have any concerns about emergency response procedures.

“We review our plans on an annual basis and revisit them any time a large-scale incident occurs on another campus,” she said. “In the future, we will streamline our process for informing new staff as they transition between campuses or when changes are made to our plans. We’ll also expand our drills and their frequency as well as audit the access points to our schools.”

Police presence on campuses has increased since the Florida shooting and Liberty High incident, said Brandon Sheffert, spokesman for the Peoria Police Department.

School Resource Officers, who provide security and crime prevention services to schools, and officers in general, are very committed to keeping schools safe, he said.

“We feel it is very important to be in the schools and active with the schools,” he said. “Lately we have been doing our Lunch with Blue program where officers go to elementary schools during the lunch period and interact with students.”

District and police officials stress intervention and the importance of students and staff reporting anything that seems out of the ordinary, as well as educating students to say something if they see something.

Mr. Sheffert said he thinks everyone is more aware and vigilant, and reinforced that if anybody sees something suspicious or if something doesn’t seem right to never hesitate to call the police.

An anonymous tip line is available, 623-486-6199, which is posted on the district website peoriaunified.org and at each school. The police department can be reached at 623-773-8311.

“We would rather check it out and it be nothing, than to not know about it,” he said.

Looking forward, the district wants to provide parents and guardians with research-based tactics so they can have conversations with their child about safety, as well as host related forums or community events.

Centennial High School senior Matthew Billings said he’s not worried about something happening at his school because if an incident does happen, school leaders jump on it quickly. He is thankful to have such good leaders at Centennial High.

“Because of them I’m not worried,” he said. “Centennial is a place of compassion and Coyote Pride. We stick up for each other.”

As for solving the complex problem of gun violence, he’s not sure there is only one solution.

“There are a variety of measures that can be taken,” he said. “The first one is to talk about it. We need our leaders — school board, district, state legislators, governor, secretary of education — to talk about the issue first.”

As concern bubbled after the Florida shooting, Ms. Palles Thompson sent a letter to all PUSD parents and guardians, Feb. 22, to let them know how the district has responded to the concerns of students, parents and teachers.

PUSD spokeswoman Danielle Airey said after sending the letter, the district received more than 100 parents responding with interest in joining the task force or learning more about how they could help keep schools safe.

Overall, is there is definitely a heightened sense of awareness on making sure the district is as prepared as it can be in the event of an emergency, Ms. Airey said.

“Many of them offered suggestions or ideas for resources that might be worth exploring as the task force conducts an audit of our campuses. ... We hope parents and employees will approach school safety with  the  confidence that we have a solid plan in place,” she said. “However we never want to become complacent and will always look for ways to improve our plans.”

An exact date has not been set yet, but officials want to schedule the next task force meeting for the end of March.

Governing Board President Monica Ceja Martinez said she appreciates the swift action taken to create the task force which will continue to meet and develop a systematic, ongoing plan that will be incorporated into the district strategic plan.

She and Peoria Elementary Principal Curtis Smith attended a training offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency taught by Department of Homeland Security to strengthen statewide practices and policies.

Ms. Ceja Martinez has two children and a number of other family members who attend PUSD schools.

“I am always a mom first and I will do anything in my power to protect our children,” she said. “At this point, listening to our children is critical.

Governing board member Kathy Knecht said it is a constant battle to balance security with an open, welcoming climate on PUSD campuses.

She said the district is well poised to provide support for students who are troubled, but it can always do better. The board is having those discussions with staff now, but she said families can play an invaluable role in monitoring their children’s behavior.

“Because the most recent mass shooting has happened at a school, and because the killing of children is an unparalleled heart-wrenching occurrence, the focus has been on school safety,” Ms. Knecht said. “I do believe however, that the problem goes well beyond schools. In the last few years our fellow Americans have suffered through shootings in churches, movie theaters, concerts, offices, night clubs and military bases. I know how heavily the responsibility weighs on PUSD board members and staff, but unfortunately, the problem is much more widespread.”

PUSD resources

Peoria Unified School District has an anonymous tip line posted on the district website and at each school. Peoria Police Department encourages those who witness anything out of the ordinary to call the department.

PUSD tip line: 623-486-6199,

PUSD website: peoriaunified.org/schoolsafety

Task force: pusdpr@pusd11.net

Peoria police: 623-773-8311