School district to host community safety forum

Avon Lake City Schools will hold a community forum on safety on Feb. 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the Avon Lake High School L.A.K.E. Center at 175 Avon Belden Road.

The forum comes in the aftermath of a school shooting in Parkland, Florida which left 17 students and teachers dead on Feb. 14.

Avon Lake school staff, members of the police force, and city representatives will be on hand to answer questions on the district’s safety plan.

In a Feb. 22 letter to the Avon Lake community, Superintendent Bob Scott expressed condolences to the victims of the tragedy and reiterated the district’s strong commitment to a safe learning environment.

“A week has passed since the horrific tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the students and families. Time will continue to pass, but the pain and fear caused by these types of violent incidents will not go away,” Scott wrote.

He added the safety plan is regularly evaluated and reviewed throughout the year.

Scott said the district continues to work closely with the Avon Lake Police Department and the City of Avon Lake in evaluating safety procedures. On Feb. 21 all district administrators met with Mayor Greg Zilka and Police Chief Duane Streator to ensure their safety plan is coordinated.

“The Avon Lake City School District is an outstanding school system. One of the main factors in our success is the support of our community. This support is important in academics, extra-curricular activities, and co-curricular activities, but it is of the utmost importance when it comes to safety. Open lines of communication between students, parents, and the schools is the foundation to any safety plan. Working together will keep us all safe,” Scott wrote.