Charleston, West Virginia — The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) will host regional school safety meetings starting this week.
County and school administrators will join the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, Fusion Center and WVDE to discuss potential threats to child safety. WVDE will also share information about new technology used to submit annual school safety plans.
“Community safety courses serve several purposes, all of which are aimed at keeping children safe,” said School Safety Director Jonah Adkins. “The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security understand the importance of public engagement, so this information is being shared to raise awareness and prevent incidents that no one should ever experience.”
The FBI plans to discuss online activities that may involve students. FBI special agents said they typically investigate hackers and adults who pose as juveniles and may engage with children through social media and other forms of online communication.
Schools and counties are using better technology tools to submit annual safety plans using WVDE GPS (Grants and Planning System). The program includes new features that allow educators to include important student information in their emergency reunification plans.
During a recent meeting with the State Board of Education, Adkins also mentioned the “See Send” app that students can use if they have safety concerns.
“Students can anonymously submit reports and concerns, which will be investigated by the school safety department,” he said.
Adkins told board members he is eager to get the community more involved. He said they play as important a role as anyone else in keeping children safe at school.
“Let’s make sure the community understands that their involvement in school safety and prevention is important,” he said.
The first meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 7th at the Embassy Suites, 300 Court Street in Charleston. This meeting covers Boone, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo, Putnam, Roane, Wayne, Wirt, and Wood counties. shall be.
The remaining series of meetings are:
Friday, May 10th – White Palace at Wheeling Park, Wheeling
Barbour County, Brooke County, Doddridge County, Hancock County, Harrison County, Lewis County, Marion County, Marshall County, Monongalia County, Ohio, Pleasants County, Preston County, Ritchie County, Taylor County, Tyler County, Upshur County, Wetzel county
Monday, May 13th – West Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lewisburg
Braxton, Fayette, Gilmer, Greenbrier, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Raleigh, Somers, Webster, and Wyoming Counties
Thursday, May 16 – West Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (WVSDB)
Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan, Pendleton, Randolph, Tucker County and WVSDB
