Editor, The Smithfield Times:

In response to the article “School security priority in capital plan,” I would like to encourage the Isle of Wight School Board to make the safety of its students a top priority during the February vote. 

Sadly, we live in an age of frequent school shootings, which require school officials, including administrators, teachers and staff, as well as students and parents, to continuously reevaluate the safety of every school environment. Everyone wishes that this task was unnecessary, but the safety of our children trumps all other considerations. 

Existing safety measures are inadequate to safeguard our children from potential dangers. While it is true that some of the steps necessary to ensure student safety can be expensive, the importance of safety outweighs these costs. 

Please do not wait until a situation in which you will have regrets and what-ifs occur. By ensuring the safety of our schools, you will be protecting the future.

 

Elainea Garcia

Zuni