Sebert Briefs School Board On Letter Sent To Parents

Fond du Lac Schools Superintendent Jim Sebert briefed the School Board Monday night on the letter he and community leaders sent out last week outlining how they keep children safe in schools. He points out the co-signers; Police Chief Bill Lamb, Fire Chief Peter O’Leary, and County Communications and Emergency Management Director Bobbi Hicken do have input on their safety procedures. Sebert says they practice drills hoping something like the high school shooting in Florida never happens here. He says, “We practice the drills on an on-going basis to ensure that we do take them seriously and we are prepared for something tragic like this to happen and then you just hope that it certainly never does.” Sebert believes there is no one magic solution to school shootings, but feels creating a culture in schools where a student is comfortable reporting perceived threats is important to everyone’s safety. He says, “You have to have a high level of trust in order to say I think something doesn’t seem right here and I have to be able to go to an adult in my school and tell them that.  That to me is foundational in terms of having kids feel, have that level of comfort and being willing to talk with each other and talk with adults when something doesn’t feel right.” The letter and email sent to parents and guardians last week reviewed safety initiatives and guidelines currently in place to protect students. It also recommended things parents and guardians can do.