Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Sandy Hook School and its surrounding communities. Our entire school family grieves the loss of life and innocence as a result of Friday’s shootings. The first and most important priority of Hopkins County Schools is the safety of students and staff.

Each principal will review their security and safety procedures immediately. In collaboration with local law en-forcement, we have conducted lockdown drills throughout the district in recent weeks. These exercises con-cluded today at South Hopkins Middle School and Southside Elementary. These drills have been conducted be-cause of our continuing commitment to keep our students and our schools safe.

We know you have a lot of questions about security. While we cannot release information on exact procedures, we would like to remind you of several safety measures that are in place. All school doors are kept locked. Visi-tors are admitted through a buzzer system, and must sign in at the school office.

Law enforcement regularly pa-trols the campuses. Security cameras are located in schools throughout our district.

We call upon our entire school community to renew efforts to keep children safe by reporting any safety con-cerns to school officials. Our children are our most precious resource.