MACON, Ga. — Taylor Elementary School teacher Kristie Blizzard looks back on how different the school environment was when she was in school. “We were just free to roam about the school. There was really no security at all,” she said.
She remembers exactly where she was when she heard about the Columbine High School Shooting in Colorado back in 1999. “I remember hearing about it on the radio, and just thinking, 'Oh, my gosh, I can't believe that just happened. I'm a senior in high school. I'm about to graduate. What if that was me?'” Blizzard said.
School security has changed drastically over the last two decades. Bibb County school's Chief of Staff Keith Simmons has seen it firsthand in 26 years as an educator. “20 years ago, my resources were resource officers -- that was it. Fast forward two decades, resource officers, security officers, metal detections, hand wands -- you name it,” Simmons said.
With school security as a national concern, Governor Brian Kemp's new budget provides funds for schools' security equipment and mental health programs. School Counselor Lakeshia Williams says that's important. “As a result of Columbine, I think that schools are more focused on social emotional learning, we're focused on making sure that all students feel supported in a school environment,” Williams said.
Blizzard says as a teacher, she constantly thinks about protecting her students. “My number one job is to keep these kids safe, and so that's what I would do, and I do think a lot about it, and in the end, I know that I'd do what I could and any teacher would,” Blizzard said.
Schools can choose to use the money for security personnel, equipment, or any way they see fit to make their students more safe. Simmons says the Bibb County School District plans to use the money for additional security technology.