MCPS mandates new active shooter drills

Montgomery County Public Schools instituted a new policy this year requiring all schools to conduct active shooter drills. The addition of this new protocol stems from the recent string of school shootings across the United States, including one at Great Mills High School in St. Mary's County, Md.

MCPS BoE

Photo: MCPS mandates new active shooter drills.

MCPS mandates new active shooter drills. Photo courtesy of WTOP.

The majority of principals in the county were trained in August, including Blair's Principal Renay Johnson. Andrew Zuckerman, Chief Operating Officer and one of the masterminds behind the new drill, explained the urgency after a training session. "We're moving as quickly as we can because students in middle and elementary school need the right developmental supports in place," he said.

Another reason behind this new policy comes from students who have said that they do not feel safe at school. "After seeing the atrocities committed at schools throughout our country, it's only natural we question our safety and fight to get assault weapons banned," Blair senior Aidan Lambiotte said. Developed to help keep students and staff safe, don't be surprised if Blair experiences an active shooter drill at some point throughout the year.