Report: Schools still need improved security

Guidepost sets up meetings to address public concerns, policies

Guidepost Solutions released its independent report on Threat and Suicide

Assessments and Physical Security for Oxford schools.

Guidepost Solutions is a New York-based investigations firm hired by Oxford Community Schools in May 2022 to conduct the investigation of the 2021 high school shooting.

Guidepost has a global team of investigators, experienced security and technology consultants, along with compliance and monitoring experts. They work with private companies, government agencies and individuals.

The report released Monday, is the first of two. It discusses current policies, practices, and procedures of the handling of proactive threats and suicide assessments at Oxford High School.

The second report will focus on four areas — governance, systems, procedures and judgements on the Nov. 30, 2021, mass shooting that killed four students. There is no time frame yet for the release of the second report.

The first report opens by laying out mental health policies and practices implemented since January 2022. They include defining prohibited and concerning behaviors, establishing a “centralized reporting system” of concerning conduct, establishing threat assessment procedures and teams, and training to staff members on threat and suicide assessments.

The new policies have led to an overworked staff.

“Of the district’s counselors who agreed to speak with us, they explained that they are unable to provide the needed guidance and academic support to students given the heavy shift of their workload to participating in and conducting threat assessments,” said the report. “Nevertheless, we find that the district’s current threat and suicide assessment practices are robust. However, based on our review of threat and suicide assessments conducted since January 2022, we believe improvements

are needed.”

Guidepost laid out eight recommended improvements.

The first on the list was that intervention teams must inquire about access to weapons and document their inquiry in every assessment.

“Of the 44 suicide assessments that the district provided to us to evaluate, the assessment teams documented that they inquired about access to firearms in only two of the cases,” the report stated. “The assessment team documented that they inquired about access to firearms in three out of the 20 assessments during the winter semester of 2022.”

During the first semester of the 2022-23 school year (September 2022 to early January 2023), the district completed 32 suicide intervention assessments and 28 threat assessments at the high school.

In April 2023, the district transitioned to Navigate 360, a software-based threat assessment process that is used by more than 35,000 schools for behavioral threat assessment and suicide case management.

The report also lays out recommended improvements to school security systems.

It recommends Evolv Express touchless security, which uses artificial intelligence to detect threats without requiring students to empty bags or backpacks, should be used at all times, not just during normal school hours.

They also recommended the high school should improve window laminates, remove fenced areas near locker rooms that could potentially “trap someone,” reinstate school safety drills, improve classroom locking hardware, and update the current “Use of Force Policy.”

“Armed district personnel are onsite without a clear ‘Use of Force Policy’ for firearms,” the report said.

Guidepost conducted five physical security surveys of high school properties and operations since July 2022.

Overall, the report found current Oxford security practices to be above average.

“The current security measures at OHS surpass most educational institutions across the U.S.,” the report said. “Even before Nov. 30, 2021, the district had invested in security measures and sought additional funding to reinforce them.”

On May 11, Guidepost will hold the following public meetings to address questions regarding its findings and recommendations.

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Oxford Township Board Room; 3:30-5 p.m.: Oxford Middle School Commons; 6:30-8 p.m.: Oxford Middle School Cafeteria. Security and safe spaces along with mental health counselors at each of these meetings will be provided. caused by things such as mechanical issues with the plane or lack of a crew.

Airlines for America, which represents the biggest carriers, said in a statement that airlines have no incentive to delay or cancel flights. The trade group said more than half of cancellations in 2022 and 2023 have been caused by “extreme weather” or air traffic control outages.

“Carriers have taken responsibility for challenges within their control and continue working diligently to improve operational reliability,” including hiring more workers and reducing their schedules, the group said.

After the pandemic hit, airlines received $54 billion in federal aid that included a prohibition on layoffs, but that didn’t prevent them from paying tens of thousands

An independent report by Guidepost Solutions looks at current mental health and security practices at Oxford High School and makes recommendations for further improvements.

of workers to quit or retire early.

Airlines have added about 118,000 workers since November 2020 and now have 5% more employees than before the pandemic, according to Transportation Department figures.

The rate of canceled flights has declined to 1.6% so far this year, compared with 2.1% in the same period last year. However, delays are slightly more common and a few minutes longer on average, according to data from tracking service FlightAware.

Currently, when an airline cancels a flight for any reason, consumers can demand a refund of the unused part of their ticket and certain extras that they might have paid to the airline, such as fees for checking a bag or getting a seat

assignment. Airlines often try to persuade consumers to accept a travel voucher instead of a refund.

After widespread flight disruptions last summer, the Transportation Department posted an online dashboard to let consumers compare airline policies on refunds and compensation.

The Transportation Department is expanding the site to indicate when airlines offer cash, travel vouchers or frequent-flyer miles as compensation for flight disruptions under their control.

None of the major U.S. airlines offer cash for controllable cancellations or long delays, only Alaska Airlines offers frequent-flyer miles, and only Alaska and JetBlue provide travel credits, according to the dashboard.