Dear MCPS Families and Staff,
This has been a tough week at Thomas S. Wootton High School and throughout all of Montgomery County. Consequently, in place of this week’s Things to Know, I would like to share some information, a few tough lessons learned, and some thoughts about school safety in Montgomery County.
Like everyone, I am heartbroken and shaken by the recent gun violence in our community and specifically at Wootton High School. This should never occur in any place, especially not in a place meant for learning and growth. My thoughts, and I am sure all of yours, remain with the injured student, the family, friends and the entire Wootton community. What happened is an attack on everyone's sense of safety and directly challenges many of the assumptions of safety we might have held about our community and our schools. Sharing the news of a school shooting is something no school leader ever wants to do and it is news that no parent wants to hear. This event has affected not only one school, but our entire community in every corner of Montgomery County. It has also reignited a chain of traumatic emotions tied to previous events of gun violence, that as a community, we have come to know too well.
I spent most of this week at Wootton listening to students, staff, and families. I saw a community experiencing fear and uncertainty, but also showing strength and care for one another (#WoottonStrong). Healing takes time and is different for every individual. If any student or staff member at any of our schools needs similar support, please reach out to a trusted adult, a counselor or administrator, or click this link here and we will ensure that help is available.
I want to express deep appreciation for everyone who came together to support Wootton this week. Simply put, the teachers and staff at Wootton High School are heroic. Faced with immense pressure and impossible expectations, they responded with professionalism, compassion and unwavering dedication. They came to work because of their commitment to their students, in spite of their own needs for support. They are also traumatized and exhausted by this week. They deserve our collective gratitude because they represent the very best of MCPS. I am also deeply grateful for the nearly 100 mental health professionals who have been on site at Wootton during various points this week, providing essential support to students and staff - this support will need to continue for quite some time. Their presence reflects our commitment to care, healing and recovery. We will continue this support as long as it is needed.
I am equally grateful to the Rockville City Police Department, the Montgomery County Department of Police, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and our emergency responders for their swift and professional actions on Monday and in the days since. The continued presence of Rockville City Police provides an important and visible reassurance of safety for our school community.
When something traumatic like this happens, providing immediate support to students and staff is critical. National research shows that access to counseling, trusted adults and peer connection reduces trauma and helps recovery, especially when it is provided quickly. When kids and adults are isolated after a traumatic event or when they overindulge in retraumatization through social media, issues compound. That is why we prioritized opening Wootton — to provide care, connection and stability. Mental health professionals were on site, including counselors, pupil personnel workers, social workers, psychologists and family engagement specialists, working directly with students, staff, and families who needed support. In hindsight, we should have opened with a delay to allow our staff more time to get help themselves - a tough lesson learned, one of many this week. Access to mental health support shouldn’t be a luxury, it is a necessity.
Safety at MCPS
Learning can’t occur unless students are safe in school. As many of our kids told us this week, they must also feel safe in school. Our first responsibility and our top priority is safety.
What does it mean to be safe in school? Safety means clear emergency procedures, strong security measures, trusted relationships with adults and immediate access to support. Across MCPS, we maintain multiple layers of protection, trained security staff, secure entry procedures, partnerships with law enforcement, surveillance systems, practiced emergency protocols and ongoing safety reviews and audits. We are strengthening these efforts based on what we learn.
I wish I could tell you that something like this won’t happen again or that there is some perfect solution out there to fix everything - I can’t and there isn’t. However, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try–and we are trying. The reality is that there is no one strategy that is 100% effective. I cannot promise a world without risk. No one can, but I can promise this: We will continue working every day to strengthen safety, expand supports and build school environments where every student feels secure, valued, and connected.
Safety should be a continuous improvement effort of both short- and long-term solutions. In the short term at Wootton, we will have an expanded security and police presence as well additional security camera coverage, upgraded door locks, and improved student communication during emergencies. Across the district, we are looking at school safety audits that were conducted last year to evaluate additional security measures that might be needed at each school. Additionally, each school will review emergency procedures and protocols and share more information about access to mental health supports.
Knowing that there is no one strategy that is perfect, I am often asked by parents and staff about the most effective means of creating and sustaining school safety. My response is that I believe having a portfolio of strategies that includes planning, policy, relationships with law enforcement, practiced emergency procedures, surveillance, and a positive school culture are critical — this is the right way for us to go and this is what we strive for at MCPS. Out of the many strategies in our portfolio, the most effective strategies might surprise you.
There is a strong and growing body of research that concludes that the safest schools are those where students feel connected to adults they can trust and where everyone understands that safety is a shared responsibility. Planning and positive relationships remain our strongest preventive measure. In my meeting with Wootton High School student government leaders, relationships and having trusted adults at school was a recurring theme (among many themes). Students told us they feel safest in spaces where there is a sense of belonging. When students have an adult they trust at school, they speak up. When they see something concerning, they say something — and that information allows adults to act before a situation escalates.
Looking at a longer term horizon, these are areas worth investing more of our energy: student engagement, positive relationships with trusted adults, and creating a sense of belonging at school. It isn’t flashy or logistically challenging or even expensive, but it is supremely effective – if you “see something, say something.” This is more than a slogan; it can be a life-saving practice. Reporting concerns, even when uncertain, can make a difference and prevent violence. Noticing a classmate who seems withdrawn, hearing something troubling, or observing behavior that doesn’t sit right should be shared with a trusted adult. This enables prevention. This approach requires a positive school culture that prioritizes safety, shared responsibility, and trust between the students and adults. This trust can’t be built overnight and will take time.
Many of our students echoed concerns about reporting information and social implications. If necessary, concerns can be reported anonymously through the Safe Schools Maryland tip line by calling or texting 1-833-MD-B-SAFE (1-833-632-7233), or through the website or app at safeschoolsmd.org. Though the fastest and most effective way to report concerns is through trusted adults at the school, this tip line is also an effective means to share critical information that can help keep all of our schools safe. Please have conversations at home about what this looks like for the children in your house. I would also highly recommend programming this tip line phone number into your child’s phone contacts if they are a cell phone user.
You may have also heard on the news that MCPS is looking at various forms of weapons detection systems. This is true. We have been investigating this technology since I started as your Superintendent in July 2024. We are testing some technologies this Spring at a few schools, and talking with several other school districts that already have weapons detection systems. We are learning a lot (but there is still a lot more to discover). We have learned that there are pros and cons to just about every system; these are not simple decisions and not one single approach solves all safety questions. For instance, bag searches and personal searches upon entry can be effective, but require consent, extensive staffing and are time consuming. Similarly, metal detection technologies also require extensive infrastructure and personnel. They can be effective at identifying when metal is present, both weapon metal and non-weapon metal, and do not identify non-metal weapons (like some ghost guns). We will keep reviewing possible tools to add to our safety toolbox, and keep you updated about what we learn. The pros and cons don’t mean that these solutions are off the table; they do mean that there needs to be a thorough review with a lot of community engagement before we make a commitment.
I would strongly encourage you to review information on this link about gun safety and access - this is a notice we send out to families every August. This annual reminder probably gets lost in the shuffle of back-to-school messages at the end of vacation time, but it is important family reading this week.
For our elementary students, safety means structured, closely supervised environments designed for children. Our elementary schools follow the same safety protocols as our secondary schools, including controlled-entry procedures, verified visitors, consistent adult supervision, while also implementing age-appropriate emergency practices that focus on calm routines and listening to trusted adults. Our youngest students should always feel cared for, protected and supported.
Undoubtedly, our students have been processing what they have seen and heard this week and they need our help to put a lot of this into context. Here are some more resources to support conversations at home:
Moments like this remind me that MCPS is more than a school system — we are a community. When one school hurts, we all feel it. And together, we will all move forward. I sincerely wish that I could guarantee perfect safety and eliminate all risks of harm. We cannot eliminate all risk; however, we can reduce risk and build environments where students trust adults enough to speak up early.
This was a lot. I am sorry for the long message, but there was a lot to say. Moving forward means committing to open communication, transparency, and honest conversation with our community. You deserve clear information, timely updates, and opportunities to ask questions. There is a lot we are learning about what happened, as this is an active investigation. We will continue to share what we know, explain what we are doing, listen carefully to your concerns and feedback, and offer more opportunities to engage with questions. Trust is built through honest communication, and strengthening that trust remains a priority for me - even when the topics are tough.
Thank you for your support during this very difficult time.
Thomas W. Taylor, Ed.D., M.B.A.
Superintendent of Schools
Montgomery County Public Schools
