Newton schools to arm ‘intruder response team’ of staff members

Newton High School in the small Miami Valley village of Pleasant Hill is listed by Niche as the No. 5 high school in the Dayton metro area. With less than 300 students from grade Nos. 7-12, the high school had a perfect 100 percent graduation rate in the most recent state report card. The school also met all 15 indicators. Niche lists Newton High School's average ACT school as three points above the state average.

Newton High School in the small Miami Valley village of Pleasant Hill is listed by Niche as the No. 5 high school in the Dayton metro area. With less than 300 students from grade Nos. 7-12, the high school had a perfect 100 percent graduation rate in the most recent state report card. The school also met all 15 indicators. Niche lists Newton High School's average ACT school as three points above the state average.

Newton Local Schools in Miami County is among a growing number of districts across the nation to arm staff members.

A letter received today in the mail by district parents outlines Newton’s changes and improvements already implemented. It also presented plans for an “active intruder response team” made up of staff members who would have access to a weapon in three strategic locations within the building, the letter signed by Superintendent Pat McBride stated.

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"These weapons would never be accessed by the limited staff members given authorization to do so unless an actual crises occurred. At no time would other staff members or students every have access to these weapons," McBride stated in the letter dated Friday that the district also posted along with a Q&A to its website.

The district worked in collaboration with the Miami County Sheriff’s Office, which will have representatives at the next public school meeting, set for 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Board of Education room, 201 N. Long St.

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McBride stated that Newton Local Schools was the first district of its size in Ohio to hire a sheriff’s deputy as a full-time school resource officer. Also, on the same day but prior to the Parkland. Florida, school shooting, McBride said he and Newton SRO, deputy Ryan Karn visited Houston Local Schools in Shelby County to review their armed intruder crisis plan and protocol.

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