PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — On the same day Franklin High School went into a lockdown because of a shooting near the school, a Gresham Democrat introduced a bill to create a process for schools to notify parents in case of similar emergencies.
After officials said shots were heard near campus, Franklin High School and Atkinson Elementary School secured their perimeters Thursday. Franklin High canceled classes on Friday.
Rep. Ricki Ruiz said the introduction of HB 3584 on the day of the Franklin lockdown was a grim coincidence, but it could have happened any other day.
“I’m not surprised we’re seeing these types of situations, these types of cases almost every day,” Ruiz told KOIN 6 News. “This bill is not going to resolve the violence that we’re seeing around our communities but I think it will put a more clear and transparent way of communicating.”
School administrators heard what they believed to be gunshots around 3 p.m. Thursday. They then called 911 and issued a “secure-the-perimeter” warning “out of an abundance of caution.”
Portland Public Schools confirmed no students or staff were injured.
However, one mom told KOIN 6 News she never got any notification from the school or district about what was happening, until her daughter, a sophomore at Franklin, told her.
Ruiz said that, as a parent, clear and timely communication about emergency situations at schools would help put his mind at ease and he hopes his colleagues prioritize the bill.
“A 12-year-old student texted his parents basically saying, ‘How would you remember me if something bad was to happen to me?’ That’s a 12-year-old kid texting that to their parents. That’s heartbreaking.”
— Rep. Ricki Ruiz, D-Gresham
“Knowing that I get this communication knowing this is happening, it will really bring some ease for me as a parent,” he said. “And I can tell you it will bring ease to many more parents as well.”
He said he believes children are traumatized as lockdowns happen. “A 12-year-old student texted his parents basically saying, ‘How would you remember me if something bad was to happen to me?’ That’s a 12-year-old kid texting that to their parents. That’s heartbreaking.”
Ruiz added these kind of scenarios are happening not just in Oregon but nationwide.
“I’m committed to this. And I hope that we, in the state of Oregon, really prioritze this bill and look at this from a lens that is kind of hopefully keeping children safe and will keep families at ease. And I hope this re-energizes the conversation about security around our schools and communities.”
The bill is expected to get a hearing within a few weeks.