The RCS Board of Education met on Aug. 5, 2022 to review safety and security procedures at all Rome City Schools campuses. Interim Superintendent Dr. Dawn Williams briefed the Board of Education on security issues at Rome High School as well as security protocols throughout the system. After discussion and deliberation with Board members as well as school and district administrators, Dr. Williams announced that additional protocols would be implemented at Rome High School beginning on Monday.

Rome City Schools will implement the following protocols at Rome High School beginning Monday, Aug. 8, 2022:

• There will be two entrances into the school during drop-off time, with tardy students and students with off-campus class or work experiences allowed to come in late only through the front door. Doors to the school will not be open until 7:30 a.m. each morning.

• Upon entering school, students will remove and carry in hand all jackets, hoodies, or any outer layer clothing so that these items may be examined for contraband.

• Student book bags and other bags will be searched upon entering the school.

• Additional Rome Police Department officers will be on-site during drop-off time during searches and for a specified period of time each morning. Administrators will also be present at each search location. K-9 officer teams will also have a presence.

• New ID badges will be printed and delivered to students within the week. Student badges will include safety code reminders added to the back of the ID, and students will be required to wear ID badges at all times.

Weapon detection systems and scanners for entrances will be researched and implemented as soon as possible.

RCS will provide additional and more specific information to parents via the RCS PowerSchool messaging service on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022. Additional information regarding the implementation of these security protocols will be posted on the RHS Facebook page on Saturday.

Rome City Schools is committed to the safety and security of its students, faculty, and staff. “The safety and security of faculty, staff, and students is of utmost importance,” said Dr. Williams. “Hiring security officers may be necessary until we can fully implement all of our recommendations, and RCS appreciates the partnership with the Rome Police Department as we move forward with our planning for these upgrades to our current safety and security plan.”