An issue of school safety

CINCINNATI - Keeping children safe is a responsibility our schools are entrusted with.

Fundamental to that is that schools have plans in place for dealing with emergencies and all involved – school personnel, police, fire and rescue – have communicated and are aware of those plans.

Yet as of Friday, Dec. 14, a total of 22 schools in Greater Cincinnati and 145 across Ohio had not filed reports with the Ohio Attorney General’s office which detail the school’s emergency plans and apprise emergency responders of such things as the building’s floor layout to help in the event of an emergency. Submitting the plans is required by state law. Twice this year the attorney general has requested them. On Monday, the attorney general’s office said that nine of the 22 had filed the required reports.

When the Attorney General Mike DeWine issued the list of the schools that have not complied, WCPO reported it and named each of the schools.

The list was published so parents would know and ask officials at any school that has yet to submit a report so critical to school safety. Maybe there’s an explanation. Maybe the school has a plan but has yet to submit it. Maybe there’s a paperwork delay. Or maybe the school has been lax.

Some, however, were critical of naming the schools. They fear that knowing which schools have yet to file a report might somehow endanger the schools and the children.

What do you think? Should the schools that haven’t filed school safety plans and floor layouts be named or should they be kept secret? Join the conversation in the comments section below.