Faith-based schools in Chattanooga area re-evaluate safety plans after MN shooting

Lily Butler – WTVC News, Chattanooga

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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn — In the wake of Wednesday’s deadly shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, faith-based private schools in the Chattanooga area are now re-evaluating their security measures.

Although a 2023 law signed by Governor Bill Lee just days after a shooting at Covenant, a faith-based school in Nashville, lets private schools contract with school resource officers, the state’s grant program for hiring such officers does not extend to private institutions.

“We need to be serious about protecting our kids and the teachers,’ said Patrick Basnett of the Professional Educators of Tennessee.

Basnett noted that last year’s budget provided one-time grants for safety improvements at private schools, such as ballistic-proof windows and metal detectors.

But right now, there is no requirement for security personnel at private schools.

Several faith-based campuses, including Silverdale Baptist Academy and Brainerd Baptist Academy, have armed security officers on campus. Photo of Silverdale Baptist Academy via their Facebook page.

Several faith-based campuses, including Silverdale Baptist Academy and Brainerd Baptist Academy, have armed security officers on campus.

Basnett emphasized the importance of having trained personnel on-site, saying, “To me, the human element is still the most important thing.”

https://www.proedtn.org

River City Security and Investigations, founded by a retired Chattanooga Police Department officer, contracts with nine private schools in Chattanooga and Cleveland to provide physical on-site security.

Their chief of staff told us, “It definitely creates a level of deterrence, no doubt about it.”

However, some private schools in the area do not have security officers on-site.

Instead, they are conducting lockdown drills and coordinating with local law enforcement to increase patrols.