Safety training and active shooter drills were regularly held at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, where a 15-year-old student killed a teacher and student on Monday, and injured six others, according to the executive director of the school’s parent company.
Impact Christian Schools Executive Director Charles Moore told the Wisconsin State Journal via email that “safety protocols are in place at every ICS school.” The nonprofit operates Abundant Life, along with High Point Christian School and Lighthouse Christian School in Madison, Mount Horeb Christian School, Impact Christian Academy in Verona and Community Christian School in Baraboo.
Moore said each school has its own school safety coordinator and Madison-area teachers participated in safety training facilitated by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office earlier this year. The school also had received grant funding from the state’s Office of School Safety.
Director of Advancement Barbara Wiers said on Monday that Abundant Life does not use metal detectors or have a school resource officer. But details about whether the school uses other safety measures, such as a secure entrance or visitor screening software, were not shared.
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Parent Rebekah Smith has a 17-year-old daughter who has attended the school since she was in the second grade.
Smith said that, when she volunteers at the school, she oftentimes has to wait minutes to enter due to security protocols. Active shooter drills are also a regular occurrence.
“They have drills every month. Our daughter was sick of practicing for (an) active shooter,” she said.
Wisconsin Statute §118.07(4) requires public and private schools to have a safety plan in place and conduct school violence drills at least once a year. Schools also must conduct on-site safety and security assessment and submit blueprint maps of the school to local law enforcement for use during emergencies.
Small schools have fewer resources
All schools, regardless of size or type, participate in school safety training, said Shelley Weiss, who serves on the Dane County School Safety Forum. But it’s more common for smaller schools simply to have fewer resources to set aside for additional security technology or personnel.
“If there’s going to be a department dedicated to safety, it is not really based on (whether it’s a) private, parochial (school). It’s usually based on the size,” Weiss said.
Unlike the Madison School District’s robust Office of School Safety, for example, teachers or administrators will take on safety responsibilities at small schools. Abundant Life has about 400 enrolled students from 200 families, according to the school’s website.
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Moore said each school has its own safety coordinator. Based on the online staff directory, it is not clear who handles security for the school. Wiers did not respond to questions about specific safety measures in place at the school.
“In many of the smaller schools, there may be multiple people who work in different roles,” Weiss said. “Oftentimes, we see people from administration who are involved. We will also see people from facilities and grounds who are involved.”
Nearby districts have ramped up security
Administrators in the Mount Horeb School District credited security upgrades for preventing further tragedy when an armed student came to Mount Horeb Middle School in May but was unable to enter the building. Police killed the 14-year-old student after he pointed an air rifle at officers.
The district used money from a $38.5 million capital referendum approved in 2017 to update schools, install bullet resistant glass and build new, more secure school entrances. That money also went toward installing cameras inside and outside the school.
In 2016, the school board updated its visitor policy, creating a more robust protocol for people looking to enter the school or attend field trips.
Construction plans in the Madison School District call for updated, more secure school entrances for several of its buildings, funded by a $507 million referendum voters approved in November.
Cherokee Heights Middle, Crestwood Elementary, Anana Elementary and Shabazz City High School will get updated welcome centers and entrances, according to referendum plans. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026 at Shabazz City High School.
The district also recently spent $177,000 to install new software that screens visitors in each school over the summer. Using facial recognition, visitors are screened against sex offender databases, government watchlists and active legal injunctions.
The visitor screening software is used by more than 100 other schools nationwide, including schools in Waunakee, Monona Grove, McFarland and Oregon.
