Rochester-area schools reassure parents and students about safety protocols on first day back after Georgia mass shooting

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Following the deadly school shooting in Georgia, students in several local districts returned to school Thursday. Rochester City Schools, Churchville-Chili Schools and West Irondequoit Schools, to name a few, opened their doors for a new school year.

It’s always on parents’ minds, but this year, school safety is a little more front of mind. Districts and teachers know this and are trying to reassure parents and students as best they can.

RCSD had several administrators at its schools on Thursday, and its principals were out front meeting and talking with students and parents who had questions about safety on the first day back.

The state’s education commissioner was also in Rochester for the first day of school. She told News10NBC that she has weekly meetings with superintendents across the state about safety and security protocols, to ensure districts have plans in place to screen students who may show warning signs of trouble and ensure they get the help or resources they need.

“We can’t keep saying ‘condolences.’ We really have to look at what happened. What are the root causes of some of these issues? The one issue that keeps coming up, and I’m sure you’ve all heard: mental health,” said New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa. “I think what we keep looking at is, ‘How do we take those signs that we see and work with them?’”

Some districts in our region have school security officers, but RCSD does not, but does have a security team at each school. We know that several districts, including Pittsford, have recently done work to reinforce school main entrances, replace glass windows, and install anti-theft locks.

*AI helped format this story. Click here to see how WHEC News 10 uses AI*