Safer school solution proposed

BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. (WALA) - In response to the tragedy in Connecticut, the Baldwin County superintendent is calling for an armed officer to be stationed at every school.

For parents across the country, hearing the news of the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn. last week was hard enough.

“I was sickened," said Kim Granger."

“I can’t imagine getting the phone call that they did," said Melissa Harville.  "It can happen to us, what happened in Connecticut, any day.”

Baldwin County Superintendent Dr. Alan Lee said it made him think about the safety of his own school system..

“[I felt] just sadness for the parents and community in the Connecticut, but also concern that we aren’t doing enough to take care of our children in our schools," Lee said.

That’s why Lee wants the local government to fund stationing an armed officer at all 46 Baldwin County schools. 

Lee’s estimated cost for his student safety came out to about $3.5 million to hire, train and equip the officers.  That’s $0.66 per student, per day.

"You can’t put a price on student safety," a thought echoed by many mothers like Kim Granger, who sends her third grader to Spanish Fort Elementary every day.

“I think it would be a great role model for the kids to have an officer at the school," Granger said.  "And of course safety in this day and age with everything that’s going on, I think it’d be a great idea.”

“I think for too many years we’ve been kidding ourselves," Lee said.  "We have in place plans to deal with an armed intruder.  But the reality is those plans are going to be very ineffectual as we’ve seen in Connecticut.  So if this has an impact on safety for children across the country that’ll be great.”

Lee is already in talks with county commissioners to get the ball rolling on his proposal.

But regardless, hopefully parents like Granger will start to sleep easier at night.