A loaded discussion

It only takes one mistake.

One missed clue.

One lapse of judgment.

A distracted teacher or administrator.

One out-of-control or troubled student who decides violence is the answer.

A teenager who doesn’t think he or she has anywhere else to turn.

The difference between the tragedy of a school shooting that takes students’ lives and a safe school environment is a matter of details, preparation, and spending the money to get the security in place that prevents loss of life before it happens.

We think it won’t ever happen here — and, so too, did all of the other school districts that now have memorials in place and regrets.

We have seen firsthand the violence that seems to be spilling throughout this country.

We have been stunned by the callousness, the hatred, and the radicalized rhetoric — the ease with which profanity and bullying dominate social media.

We have seen the rise in juvenile crime — and the seemingly larger number of students who just seem lost.

And we have noticed the fear and worried about the anger.

Yet, we keep hoping that we are wrong — that there is no real emergency in Wayne County, that we can concentrate on infrastructure and new school buildings or keeping our taxes low.

The other concerns, well they can wait.

And then something happens like what transpired at Eastern Wayne High School this week and we are reminded that school safety is not a luxury or a future goal.

We had hoped we would never have to have this discussion again after a Goldsboro High School student brought a gun to campus 11 months ago — a firearm with the serial number scratched off that was loaded with an extended clip and more than 20 bullets — and admitted he was prepared to use it.

But it turns out, the incident was not a one-off.

So, yes, we need to plan NOW.

Because here is the scary part: the gun in the EWHS student’s backpack was discovered by accident.

Administrators, according to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, were worried about a vape pen and the smell of marijuana.

They never thought they would discover a weapon, let alone one that was allegedly stolen.

Of course, there are concerns about the mental health of the student. What makes a teenager think he needs to carry a weapon onto a high school campus?

Is this a fear thing or a gang thing?

Where did he get it, and how did he get it into a school building?

And was he under the influence of marijuana at school?

How did that happen?

But even more bone-chilling is that there was a real chance that this weapon might never have been discovered, and could easily have been accessed and used.

Heck, had the young man dropped the backpack, the gun could have gone off and killed someone.

No one wants to turn our schools into prison camps.

We have all seen the pictures of what it is like to enter a true inner-city school — the intense security and the real dangers of the influences that surround the campus.

We have seen the wands and the metal detectors — and noticed the presence of officers.

We like to think, “that’s New York or Chicago, not eastern North Carolina,” but the days of us pretending that “things like that just don’t happen here,” are over.

It could happen here.

It really could — any day, in any school, in the blink of an eye.

So, what do we do now?

We have begun the earnest efforts to improve the conditions and performance of Wayne County Public Schools.

And based on news shared over the last several months, the efforts are bearing fruit.

The county has stepped up, too.

More money is coming in to fix up buildings and to try to keep the best teachers and administrators working here.

So, in many ways, we are doing all the right things.

But the problem is that there is a limited pot of money.

We would like to believe there isn’t, but budgets and line items don’t lie.

So, how are we going to get the security upgrades we absolutely need to prevent having to live through a day like the one those parents who lost their children to school shooters had to endure?

How do we do everything we can to put a wall between a bad actor and a group of our most precious residents?

Luckily, there is a way to take a major step forward — to ensure that every county school has a school resource officer and the security equipment in place.

All you have to do is follow the lead of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners.

We have told you before that the commissioners and the school district have joined forces to ask residents to pass a sales tax increase.

So, all of you will soon have the chance to decide on that measure.

The ask is not big — just an extra 25 cents for every $100 you spend.

And no, this is not just another tax hike designed to bail out bad spending decisions by a government entity, or a money grab to allow bureaucrats to stay in their cushy jobs while taxpayers try to figure out how to balance an already strapped bank account.

This is an important investment in what should be this community’s top priority — the safety of our children.

The money — north of $3 million a year — will be used to put those safeguards in place that we talked about and to put one more barrier in between the county’s schoolchildren and tragedy.

Having a school resource officer in place at every school, someone who is trained to handle emergencies, a law enforcement officer who knows how to spot the signs and to work with young people, really would be invaluable.

And the basics, like metal detectors and perhaps even more unannounced locker searches and K-9s taking a stroll through the halls every once in a while, well, that sends the message that security is a top priority in our schools.

It also would serve as a reminder to those who are habitual offenders that there is always someone watching.

But that is not enough.

We also need no-nonsense consequences and a firm stand that the rules will be followed — no excuses.

Get caught with a weapon, with drugs or threatening another student’s safety or defying a teacher will result in suspension or worse, along with potential criminal charges.

Combine that with programs that spot potential problems before they fester into full-blown mental instability, and resources for students who need extra support, and you have a working security plan that prioritizes accountability and compassion for students who need help.

It is what we need, and we cannot wait for the next windfall or a “better time.”

And here’s another “good thing.”

A sales tax increase does not target any one group, making it, by far, the fairest option.

Look, we get it. None of us are swimming in extra money right now.

And because your bills seem a little more daunting these days, the words “tax increase” are nauseating.

But what this money would accomplish is immeasurable.

So, we ask to consider the following before you head to the polls this March — to talk through it with your friends and families.

What amount of money is worth making sure no classroom of Wayne County children has to stare down the barrel of a gun?

Is it worth an extra few dollars a year — maybe the cost of a coffee a Starbucks or bottle of Coke — to put the pieces in place to make extra sure your children or grandchildren come home.

And can you be sure — really sure — that some teenager won’t be carrying a loaded gun in their waistband or backpack on your loved one’s campus Monday morning?

The sooner we get the security in place, the less of a chance we will ever know what it is like to be on the other end of a phone call from a terrified love one who is facing the unimaginable — or worse yet, to have to answer the door when a police officer comes to deliver the worst news a parent could ever get.

We think a few extra pennies is a small price to pay to do just that.