By Ben Rodgers
Editor
The news of the Tuesday, Dec. 3, officer-student shooting that left a student and school resource officer injured at Oshkosh West High School was devastating.
This is the second incident this week to happen in Wisconsin, where shots were fired inside a high school, the first being at Waukesha South High School.
Something is deeply wrong in a society where parents have to worry about their children’s safety when they send them off to school.
I’m an Oshkosh West graduate, and never would I have imagined something like this would happen in the halls I once walked. Sadly, I was wrong.
In Oshkosh, a student stabbed the school resource officer, who in turn shot the student.
One student reported she was unsure if this was a drill or active situation.
In Waukesha, an officer shot a student who had his hands in his pockets and eventually aimed a pellet gun at officers.
Thankfully, quick reaction saved any lives from being lost in both instances.
The sad truth is this is the new normal, and until lawmakers figure out what to do, I have a feeling we can expect more of the same.
“As an elected leader, every day I feel the urgency of a public that is looking for answers and deserves leadership from their government officials on reducing incidents like this,” said Rep. Gordon Hintz, Assembly Democratic leader (D-Oshkosh) following the event. “I reject the premise that students today must simply learn to live with the constant prospect of terror and violence when they attend school, or go about their lives in any other public space. In Wisconsin and across the country, we are deserving of leaders who are willing to step up and address this growing public health crisis.”
All I can tell you is what I know about this public health crisis in Wisconsin.
Both incidents this week were isolated and contained at the schools.
Anxiety is at an all-time high in schools, and concerns over instances like what happened this week is part of the blame.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice awarded more than $85 million across the state to 215 schools to bolster security, thanks to a 2018 act.
Those funds were used for bulletproof glass, security cameras, public address systems and a plethora of training opportunities for staff.
Now here’s what I think.
Lawmakers throwing money at a problem, unsure if those measures will work, is not a solution I am comfortable with.
We need proactive measures to address issues before they become stories on CNN.
Teachers have enough on their plates and don’t need to become adolescent mental health experts.
Schools need actual professionals, trained to work with students at all age levels.
Look to Ashwaubenon, where the school board is preparing to ask voters to approve a referendum, of which $650,000 a year for at least the next five years would be used for mental wellness and student supports.
That would allow for added staff to identify issues with students years before they become a problem to the extent where a student feels the only way to be heard is to bring a weapon to school.
I know it’s unfair to ask local taxpayers to pay more to keep their schools safe, but with divided lawmakers, it’s the best solution I can think of.