Weeks after a gun incident occurred at Raider Stadium, no update about the incident was scheduled for the Habersham County Board of Education’s work session.
However, Assistant School Superintendent Patrick Franklin informs Now Habersham that the school board’s agenda will be updated to include the gun incident. “We have Director Kogod presenting a safety presentation tonight that includes an update on the gun incident,” Franklin tells Now Habersham. The updated agenda was sent out Thursday morning.
Parents and others that witnessed the incident were critical of how school administrators handled the situation and questioned why they weren’t informed sooner of the incident.
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During a middle school football game on August 15, a teenage boy brought a loaded handgun to the football game and was apprehended inside the stadium. Though no one was hurt, the potential for harm was real.
It was several days after the incident that school administrators began answering questions, only after Now Habersham inquired about the incident. However, no official statement has been released from the Board of Education or the school superintendent. All inquiries were directed to Chief of Police Murray Kogod.
This is the first scheduled meeting for the school board since the incident occurred on August 15. However, three weeks after the incident, Board of Education Chief of Police Murray Kogod nor School Superintendent Matthew Cooper have issued any further comments about the incident since August 24.
Chairman Doug Westmoreland was aware of the incident at the time it occurred but had no specific details or comment on the matter. However, he did say he was concerned about the incident and expects a full report from Kogod and Cooper in one of the upcoming board meetings.
However, a review of the school board meeting agenda for Thursday does not indicate any report of the incident is forthcoming, at least not at this meeting.
Parents concerned
In light of recent events at Apalachee High School, many parents with children in the Habersham County School district have growing concerns over the incident that occurred at Raider Stadium three weeks ago. Those concerns have led to some parents not sending their children to school Thursday morning.
Parents have taken to social media to vent those concerns and frustrations about how the school board, Cooper, and Kogod have not taken a proactive approach to inform parents on what security measures have been put in place to improve school safety and assure them that their children are safe.
MORE GBI: 2 teachers, 2 students killed in Apalachee High School shooting
The work session will be held one day after a school shooting by a 14 year old student that killed 4 people and injured nine others in Barrow County.
In other business
Assistant School Superintendent Patrick Franklin will give his monthly facilities report on future projects and projects that are ongoing within the school system.
Director of Transportation Stephanie Walker will give a transportation presentation and a transportation department strategic plan progress report to the board members.
Board members will receive a presentation from the system’s new school principals.
The Habersham County Board of Education will meet for its work session Thursday, September 5, at 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in the Habersham County Board of Education Meeting Room at 144 Holcomb Street in Clarkesville.
Now Habersham intends to livestream the meeting on our YouTube channel.
