Kelly Carmichael Booz, an ACPS mom and 20-year educator running for Alexandria School Board - District B, issued this statement following news of a concealed and loaded firearm on the grounds of Alexandria City High School:
10.7.21
The news of a loaded firearm on campus has every mom and dad hugging their kids a little closer today. As we've seen too often in our nation, firearms and schools do not mix!
We need to address the violence and mental health impacting our community and our students. And we need better measures to ensure students are not able to get their hands on guns.
This issue is bigger than whether or not we have School Resource Officers (SROs), which is a vital conversation to have. You can read my position on SROs here.
In light of these events, I want to urge the City Council and the School Board to re-engage with each other and the community on ways to keep our students, staff, and community safe. This needs to be done immediately because everyone deserves to feel safe at school.
Without safety, effective learning cannot happen. And guns do not belong in the hands of kids - period.
On School Board, I will always seek to engage students, parents, staff and community members around the critical issues facing ACPS, especially safety and security.