by Rodney Dunigan
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A string of disturbances at one Metro area school has police and district administrators on alert. Students at Hillsboro High saw an increased security presence Monday.
It all comes on the heels of the murder of a student who attended the school. Since then, students have been on edge and administrators felt the best course of action was to be proactive.
Metro police cars were posted outside, and officers walked the hallways inside. All of this an effort to prevent more trouble at the school.
Metro Schools Assistant Superintendent, Ralph Thompson said security was beefed up following a string of issues with students. It was about two weeks ago student Michael Walker Junior was shot and killed. Following the murder, rumors of retaliation for his killing floated around the school.
"It never hurts to try to get a step ahead of the curve. We're here to help them if they have issues and concerns or questions. We want to be in full force to answer those and we want order in return," Thompson told NewsChannel 5.
Parents were glad to see the increased focus on safety.
"I constantly worry about my child and this makes me feel a little bit better. So while I'm at work I know my daughter's in safe hands," said parent Shewan Bradley.
Parent Andrea Donelson told NewsChannel 5 that it's disappointing the district has to take this measure. However, she believes it's an unfortunate sign of the times.
"I'm glad that they recognized they need to come in and take over and get the kids back where they need to be in the classroom and respecting their teachers. I think things maybe have gotten a little out of control and they need to be reeled back in again," said Donelson.
Administrators also ran truancy checks at the school Monday. They discovered a number of students either cutting class, roaming the halls or simply late for school. More than 200 students were cited. There were no reports of any issues at the school. Security will be on high alert on campus throughout the week.
Email: rdunigan@newschannel5.com
