Superintendent remembers Stoneman Douglas victims and talks about safety.

Safety also discussed on anniversary of shooting

On the two-year anniversary of a school shooting that horrified a nation, Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie remembered the victims and asserted that his district is now safer than ever.

Runcie spoke to reporters Friday morning outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 14 students and three staff members were murdered on Feb. 14, 2018. The district marked the day by holding events at schools countywide focusing on kindness and community service. “The entire Broward school family and community come together to honor the lives of the 17 that were lost and the many others that were injured,” Runcie said. “Today is a day of service and love.”

The district’s schools also observed a moment of silence during the morning to remember the victims.

Media were not allowed inside Stoneman Douglas. Runcie said he talked to students and staff and noticed more healing, compared to last year’s anniversary.

He said the district has put counselors, psychologists, therapy dogs and other resources to help students and staff cope but acknowledges some are still struggling.

“It’s a little better than it was in the prior year, but there’s still a lot of work to do. Support is still needed,” he said.

Asked about how safe the school and district are now, he cited an oft-repeated list of security upgrades the district has made in the last two years, including better surveillance cameras and intercom systems, more radios for school staff, single points of entry to limit visitor access, more security and mental health staff, and new policies that deal with responding to an emergency.

Still, he’s faced criticism, especially among families of victims, for a lack of urgency in making changes and trying to find out where the district may have failed. Investigations of two employees found no wrongdoing. Investigations of former Principal Ty Thompson and two assistant principals are continuing.

Runcie said he’s not trying to win over his critics.

“I’m trying to do a job for the entire county to make sure that when we get up each and every day, we’re making our school system the safest in the country,” he said.

“For some people, no matter what we do, they are going to be critical,” he said. “This district looks absolutely different than it did a couple of years ago in terms of safety and security, mental health and wellness.”