The state of Massachusetts has given Brockton a grant to do a safety audit at their high school to try to determine the best way to improve the situation there.
But she said she is taking the school committee’s concerns about violence at the school very seriously.
Community leaders and parents say beyond the well-documented issues with fights in the school, more needs to be done to ensure there are enough teachers in the classrooms, that students aren’t wandering the hallways or leaving the building during school hours, and that students who repeatedly violate school policy are appropriately disciplined or expelled.
They also agree that community standouts like the one held Monday morning to show students the community supports them are a great first step.
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But Healey said it will take everyone coming together to figure out the best solution for students and educators in Brockton going forward.
“We want to make sure, and as governor I want to make sure, that every student and educator in this state, including in Brockton, is safe and is able to go to school and learn in a safe environment, so our job is to make sure that they receive assistance that way and support," Healey said. "That’s why we’ve given them the money to be able to do that public safety audit and to make sure the right resources are in place.”
At a special school committee Tuesday night, parents, teachers and others shared their thoughts on how to make Brockton High School safe.
"In looking at the school safety issues, I found the school district's most current security plan is approximately 10 years old," Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez said.
She highlighted ways to bolster security, including tightening classroom security, controlling access to the school and training personnel.
Some teachers say that's not enough.
"This is the first year I've ever thought that I could be hurt," said math teacher Julie Fairfield. "You have that few who are really bad, and they're so bad."
