Ahead of the new school year, Superintendent Dr. Clarence Sutton tells FOX54 how the district will continue to implement campus safety and city collaboration.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — FOX5 spoke with Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Clarence Sutton ahead of the new school year. As the leader of the largest school district in North Alabama, Sutton discusses the area’s continued growth and the steps the district is taking to keep students safe.
Here’s part of our one-on-one conversation.
Deas: How are you continuing to improve school safety?
Dr. Sutton: We continue implementing our security protocols. We’re fortunate to be in a school system with strong support. We have weapon detection systems in every school, as well as our own campus security officers. Each school has one or two officers who help monitor students as they arrive, leave and move throughout campus.
We’re also focused on our parking lots and communicating safety protocols with families. We encourage parents to know what warning signs to watch for, monitor their students and maintain open communication. We’re grateful that, in the few cases we had last year, someone came forward and reported concerns.
Deas: Would you say the OPENGATE weapon detection system was helpful in detecting those weapons? It worked?
Dr. Sutton: OPENGATE works. More importantly, I’m proud of the people who monitor the system. They were doing their jobs, stayed focused and responded quickly. The situation was addressed immediately, we communicated with everyone involved and resolved the issue.
Deas: How do you plan to work with the City Council to accommodate the additional families and new homes coming to the area?
Dr. Sutton: Communication is the key, especially as our community continues to grow. We meet with city officials once a month. Their team meets with us and the school board to provide updates, and together we plan for future growth.
Our capital improvement plan has helped us prepare. We moved sixth-grade students to McNair with the addition of a new wing, creating more space in our elementary schools on that side of town. At Jemison High School, some of our Career Technical Education programs are moving to our new center at the central office, which creates additional space on the high school campus.
As a board and as a community, we’ve taken a proactive approach to planning through communication. I’m thankful the city has consistently included us in those conversations.
School begins Wednesday, August 5.
