No School System Can Guarantee Total Safety: AACPS Leader

ANNAPOLIS, MD — At the end of a tense school week that first rocked the country with the deaths of 17 students and teachers in a Broward County, Florida, mass shooting, followed by the spread of a threatening Snapchat photo throughout the country, Anne Arundel County Public Schools Superintendent George Arlotto posted a letter to the community assessing school security. (Read the full letter at the bottom of this story.) In his message, the schools chief said that no school or school system can guarantee 100 percent safety of students and staff 100 percent of the time.

"There is not a day that goes by in our school system when the issue of school safety is not discussed. We are constantly looking for ways to bolster the security in our buildings and take advantage of technological advancements to create even safer environments for our students and staff," Dr. Arlotto wrote.

A Snapchat photo and message circulated throughout Anne Arundel County presented no threat to any schools in the county, police said Friday morning. The message originated in South Carolina and has spread through social media across the country.

School officials say the image of a teenager originated in South Carolina and he has been arrested and charged. The Washington Post reports that a ninth-grader in Spartanburg, S.C., told police he was joking when he allegedly used Snapchat to post a photo of himself wearing a partial mask and holding what appeared to be an assault rifle. The photo was captioned, "Round 2 of Florida tomorrow," Spartanburg sheriff's officials told Fox affiliate WHNS.

Arlotto reviewed security practices that the school system his in place — from visitor check-ins with staff to school resource police officers in buildings to mental health professionals to work with troubled students and staff — but said that the public is key in making sure schools are safe.

"For all that technology has to offer, however, our greatest asset is you. It is alert and attentive students, parents, staff members, and others who provide the greatest information we could receive when it comes to issues that may be brewing in our communities or schools," Arlotto wrote. "I implore you to continue those conversations at home, in your workplace, and in our schools. We cannot know everything, and we depend on you to partner with us. Put simply, if you see or hear something, say something."

Photo of Dr. George Arlotto, courtesy of Anne Arundel County Public Schools