Students Returning To Medford Schools Greeted By Extra Police
MEDFORD (CBS) -- There were extra police at all Medford schools as students returned to classes on Tuesday.
Following their school vacation week, Medford schools remained closed on Monday to give teachers time to establish how they will explain to students that a gun magazine was found in McGlynn Middle School two months ago and never reported.
"We just met yesterday and we want to see a lot of changes. It's going to take more than a day. So I'm hoping that everyone will come together and work together to make the schools as safe as possible," said Amy Detering, a teacher and parent at McGlynn.
The town's middle and high school students will be told the police in and around classrooms are a part of the ongoing investigation into the bullets found at the school.
Younger students will be told less specific details.
According to the school's website, if a pre-k student asks about the police, they will be told officers are simply in the school to keep them safe. Police will be explained to kindergarten students as helpers. Elementary through sixth-grade students will be told there was a safety concern and officers searched all the schools.
That is not to say some younger students are not aware of the situation, though.
"Well, they are saying that a gun magazine was found," said Kayla Ortiz, who is in sixth grade at the school. "They just found it in the auditorium under one of the chairs and I was a little surprised."
"I don't know who did it because they are all saying that the janitor found it."
She added, "I'm not scared because I know our school is going to be perfectly safe with the police here and the firefighters."
Principal Jake Edwards was placed on paid administrative leave after he admitted he may have inadvertently thrown the magazine away, never notifying police after a custodian put it in his office in December.
The magazine was never recovered. The picture of it was taken by the cleaning company.
Mayor Stephanie Burke said she and police did not learn about the incident until February 16.
On Tuesday, she was also at the middle school greeting students as they came to school.
Police Chief Leo Sacco said, "It's a scary time. They drop their children off and they go to work and they hope they are doing the right thing and they want to make sure that they are safe."
A meeting was held Tuesday night to discuss Superintendent Roy Belson's future.
