New JC Schools leader answers questions about school security, other current issues
Bryan McGraw took over as superintendent of the Jefferson City School District this year from longtime leader Larry Linthacum.
ABC 17 News interviewed McGraw ahead of the first day of his first year at JC Schools.
Meghan Drakas: How is your district creating a safe environment for students and staff to work in?
McGraw: Safety and security for our students and staff is our No. 1 priority. We want to make sure that each and every day that when parents drop off their children, that they feel that they’re safe and watched over and secure. We’ve upgraded our lockdown procedures to do them more often. We have secure vestibules in our schools and a great relationship with our local police department.
MD: Do teachers go through any sort of safety training?
McGraw: We’re currently doing it school-by-school and we have a process and schedule in place to hit every building this school year.
We listen to any feedback that they have and we can ensure and make it better and they do give us that feedback to act on it.
MD: In the case of an emergency, do you have an alert system set up for parents?
McGraw: We do. Very similar to a snow day alert, messaging system that goes out and we practice that. We’re actually doing an upcoming drill to make sure that everyone’s information is correct in our system.
They can access it through their campus portal which they can get through their student account.
MD: What mental health resources are available to your students?
McGraw: We’ve actually upgraded this school year. We’ve paired with a new organization that will provide additional mental health services; particularly in our middle schools. We feel we’ve had a need, seeing more of a need there the last couple of years so we’ve enhanced our services in those areas.
MD: What is your current masking policy?
McGraw: We are not requiring masks in the district. Obviously, if parents and students feel comfortable wearing them, they’re more than welcome to but it is not a requirement.
MD: Could you touch on the huge teacher staffing addition to JC Schools recently?
McGraw: We’re super excited for the beginning of the school year. Over 100 new teachers that we welcomed here this week for training so there’s a different type of energy building.
