Oxford schools safety report highlights need for more changes after school shooting

OXFORD, Mich. (FOX 2) - A review of Oxford Community Schools shows changes the district should make to improve safety.

Guidepost Solutions released its "independent report on threat and suicide assessments and physical security" on Monday after being tasked with reviewing policies following the 2021 Oxford High School shooting.

The report addresses current school safety and security policies and practices, not policies in place during the deadly school shooting.

Read the latest updates on the Oxford school shooting here.

There have been several changes in the schools since the shooting, including the addition of weapons detection systems. 

According to the findings, the district needs to improve its suicide and threat assessments, along with physical security. Guidepost provided dozens of recommendations for what the district should do it increase safety.

Recommendations include inquiring about access to weapons, including school resource officers in threat assessments, and evaluating its search policies. The report noted that every threat assessment since the shooting has included a search, a practice it says should be evaluated continually "to ensure sustainability and compliance with district policies and administrative guidelines."

Additionally, the district should search for all information on a student when there is a substantive threat, including emails and social media. Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley posted photos of a handgun on Instagram days before the shooting.

The report also evaluates the district's physical security, such as the weapons detection systems.

Recommendations for improving physical security include adding hardware that locks classroom doors from the inside and shows the status of the lock, reinstating school safety drills, and improving window laminates at the high school.

Read the full report below. Mobile users, click here if you can't see it.