Students, staff visit Apalachee High School during open house before official return
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. - Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith gave a statement Monday morning before an open house at Apalachee High School in Barrow County.
Apalachee High School was the site of a mass shooting on Sept. 4. During the shooting, two 14-year-old students and two teachers were killed, and nine others were injured. A 14-year-old student, Colt Gray, has been charged with their murders. Additionally, his father, Colin Gray, has been arrested for purchasing the gun used in the mass shooting for his son, despite knowing the teenager was troubled.
The open house was held to give students and staff an opportunity to tour the school before classes officially resume on Tuesday. It also provides a chance for students and staff to reconnect.
"Our most vulnerable were attacked, our kids and our and our teachers in this building behind us," said Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith. "But what evil did not plan for was the resiliency and the strength that they have."
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Some students, parents, and staff have expressed concerns about returning to the high school and have formed a group called Change for Chee. The group started a petition asking the school district to implement safety measures such as metal detectors and clear bags only.
Barrow County Superintendent Dr. Dallas LeDuff released a statement on the school district's website, saying they are discussing additional security measures with the sheriff's department, Board of Education, and state agencies.
"We know this isn’t easy," said LeDuff. "We are all still navigating our way through adversity and emotions we may never fully understand. The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our top priority. We are committed to holding discussions with our community and safety experts about additional layers of security."
Dr. LeDuff added, "This open house is an important step in reopening Apalachee High School to be here for our students and staff who need us. I am proud and thankful to be a part of this compassionate and supportive community."
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Sheriff Smith assured those concerned during his statement on Monday morning that precautions are being taken to protect everyone in the school. He noted that some of these measures would be visible, while others may not be immediately apparent.
"Today is a huge step for us healing in this building behind us," said Sheriff Smith.
Smith also thanked everyone in the community for their support and asked the media to give students and staff space today and the rest of this week as they adjust to being back in school.
The open house was held from 9 a.m. to noon, with different grades visiting at separate times. Freshmen visited the school between 9 and 10 a.m., sophomores between 10 and 11 a.m., and juniors and seniors from 11 a.m. to noon.
When classes resume on Tuesday, students will attend for half days until Oct. 4, when fall break begins. The normal schedule will resume on Oct. 14, according to the school district.
Since J Hall will remain closed, the school will use a building on Star Street, known as "Chee East," for classes previously held in that section of the school. Buses will temporarily take students to and from the remote location until new classroom pods arrive on campus (anticipated in January 2025).
During the open house, students had the opportunity to create small pieces of art to be added to a larger mosaic that will eventually be displayed on campus. Additionally, counselors and therapy dogs will be available on-site for the students.
"The love that we give our kids and the love that we give our parents and our staff and teachers, it will always prevail over what happened," Sheriff Smith said.