Princeton Public Schools forms threat assessment team

Aiming to identify students who may represent a threat to others, the Princeton Public Schools has created a school threat assessment team in each of its six schools.

The school threat assessment teams were formed prior to the Sept. 4 school shooting at Appalachee High School in Winder, Ga.

A 14-year-old student, Colt Gray, is accused of fatally shooting two students, two teachers and injuring nine others. He was charged with four counts of felony murder, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). His father Colin is also charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, according to GBI.

A policy to create the school threat assessment team was approved by the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education in August 2023. The policy is mandated under state legislation that was approved in 2022, following the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

The school threat assessment team will help teachers, administrators and other staff to identify “students of concern (and) assessing those students’ risk for engaging in violence or other harmful activities,” the policy stated.

The team will deliver intervention strategies to manage the risk of harm for students who pose a potential safety risk and to prevent targeted violence in the school, according to the policy.

“(The threat assessment team) will ensure a safe and secure school environment that enhances the learning experience for all members of the school community,” the policy said.

The threat assessment team includes a school psychologist; a school counselor; a social worker or other school employee with expertise in student counseling; a teaching staff member, and a school principal or other senior administrator.

A school resource officer or school employee who serves as a school liaison to the Princeton Police Department, and the school safety specialist also are included on the threat assessment team.

The team members will receive training, which includes training on adverse childhood experiences, childhood trauma, cultural competency and implicit bias, the policy said.

In addition to the school threat assessment team, the policy states that the school district must create a separate behavioral threat assessment and management program.

The behavioral threat assessment and management program will define prohibited and concerning behaviors; create a central reporting mechanism; and define a threshold for police intervention, among other tasks.

A case management or intervention plan will be implemented, and the case will be re-assessed and monitored until it can be closed, the policy said.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the Georgia school shooting, the Princeton Public Schools will continue to prioritize the health and safety of students and staff by focusing on building relationships and providing mental health supports to those who need them, school district officials said.

“We will continue to monitor, maintain and upgrade the security in our buildings. We are truly grateful for our ongoing partnership with the Princeton Police Department and their commitment to keeping our district safe,” said Interim Superintendent of Schools Kathie Foster.

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