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Newport News principals enhance crisis management training following Richneck Elementary shooting

Principals in Newport News Enhance Crisis Management Training Following Richneck Elementary Shooting
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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Local principals in Newport News participated in an important workshop on Monday aimed at enhancing crisis management and preparing for potential emergencies in schools.

The training comes in the wake of changing protocols following the shooting at Richneck Elementary School two years ago.

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Law enforcement officials, fire responders, and Newport News principals gathered at Menchville High School to discuss safety, security, and teamwork. This training is part of the school district's comprehensive safety framework, which focuses on creating secure environments, preventing violence, and safeguarding the community.

“It’s part of our process to conduct these drills once or twice a year, sometimes even three times,” said Superintendent Dr. Michelle Mitchell. “This allows us to come together, review our safety practices, evaluate what is effective, and refine our strategies for best practices.”

School leaders emphasized that while the training is not directly related to the Richneck shooting, it coincides with an upcoming court date for former assistant principal Ebony Parker next month. They reported that significant changes have been made since the incident.

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“We’ve made a lot of changes to the way we secure our schools,” said Mark Stuart, who is in charge of crisis planning, prevention, and environmental resource management. “We’ve completely rewritten all of our policies and procedures and developed a reunification team to proactively respond to situations.”

Dr. Mitchell mentioned that this session marks the first time they have conducted exercises of this scale, although similar training has been held in the past. She noted that there are several exciting developments regarding school safety that have not yet been shared with board members or school leaders.

"Our administrators will take back the new learning today and conduct what we call turnaround training in the buildings,” Dr. Mitchell added.

For now, details regarding the future of school safety remain confidential, but officials are committed to keeping students and staff prepared and safe.