"Kind of nervous": Students return to Harding H.S. 1 week after fatal stabbing
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- One week after 15-year-old Devin Scott was fatally stabbed at Harding High school in St. Paul, students and teachers returned to the classroom.
They came back to added security and safety protocols, and as planned, the school day was shortened- students were let out at 1:30 p.m. WCCO's John Lauritsen talked with kids and educators about their first day back since the tragedy.
"Kind of nervous," student Aiden Brown said.
A week ago, many students at Harding High School were in lockdown, after 15-year-old Devin Scott was fatally stabbed in school. It was Scott's first day at Harding. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with his murder.
"Some students are anxious to come back they want to be here, and they wish maybe that we would have returned sooner. Other students are apprehensive or nervous," said Nancy Paez, Assistant Superintendent for St. Paul Public Schools.
More than 1,700 students arrived to new security measures at Harding -- something the district's crisis support team had been working on for a week. That includes adding two police officers outside the school.
"They should because we have no real guards or anything," student Mark Maceda said, adding he'd like to see more security for the rest of the school year.
On Friday, students also met in assemblies. Like the added officers, there will be increased hallway supervision for at least the next week.
During classtime, students will only be allowed in hallways with a chaperone. Cell phones are also not allowed during class.
"It's been a tough six days. There's no blueprint for this stuff happening," teacher Louis Francisco said.
Francisco grew up near Harding and has been a teacher at the school for 31 years. On Monday, district educators held a vigil for Devin Scott outside the school. Friday's return was bittersweet for many teachers.
"One thing that's happened is a lot of our teachers want to be with the students. The students need us, and the community needs us," Francisco said.
The teacher's union in St. Paul also sent a letter to the district asking for an emergency meeting to address the climate in St. Paul schools, in light of the fatal stabbing at Harding. Within 24 hours, more than 600 educators added their names to the letter.
