- Several parents in Iowa towns affected by school shootings expressed the need for more precautions and transparency.
- The meeting came a day after the death of Principal Dan Marburger, who was critically injured in a shooting.
- The school district's reopening plans have been put on hold due to parent concerns about safety and security and the death of Principal Marburger.
Several parents in the Iowa town where a deadly school shooting occurred earlier this month called for more precautions and transparency Monday as the school board plans to welcome students back. He told school officials that he was asking for it.
Their comments were made during a Perry City School Board meeting a day after the death of Principal Dan Marburger, who was critically injured in a shooting.
Grace Castro criticized the school district's policy, saying “lives were lost due to lack of precautions.” She suggested installing metal detectors at school entrances, temporarily introducing remote learning options, and enforcing a clear bag policy as the “least we can do.”
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Her comments echoed what many other parents, including some of the victims' families, have said on Perry's Facebook page since the district first announced its reopening plan last week.
Local residents pray by candlelight in response to the mass shooting at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, on January 4, 2024. Parents in the Iowa town told school officials Monday they want more precautions and transparency as the school board plans to bring students back. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergal, File)
Mark Drahos also called on the board to take further precautions. But he noted school officials won't be able to please everyone. He said he has discussed ideas with school board members, including a single point of entry into the building, a no-bag policy and additional security such as hall monitors.
“We understand that even if we can truly solve this problem, it won't be easy, but we need to work on strengthening our security measures and improving our mental health,” Joseph Swanson said. .
Monday's meeting had been postponed from Sunday because of Marburger's death.
His body is scheduled to be escorted to Perry from a hospital in Des Moines on Tuesday. His family encouraged local residents to line the roadside to welcome him back. Funeral services are pending.
The attack began on the first day back from winter break in the middle and high school's communal cafeteria, where students were eating breakfast before class. The gunfire continued outside the cafeteria, but stopped at the north end of the middle and high school building.
Sixth grade student Amir Jorif, 11, was killed and seven others were injured, including Marburger, two other school staff and four students.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety said Marburger “clearly acted selflessly and put himself in harm's way to protect students.” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered all flags to be lowered to half-staff in Marburger's honor until sunset on the day of his funeral and burial. She also encouraged people, businesses, schools and local governments to do the same.
The district's reopening plans have been put on hold until further notice, both because of concerns for the safety and security of parents and because of Marburger's death. School officials are seeking the expertise of law enforcement and safety experts, according to a school district Facebook post on Monday. The district plans to have uniformed police officers on site as students return to school. The ward continues to provide consultation services. Extracurricular sports for middle school and high school students will resume Tuesday as the district begins to return to its normal schedule.
The last injured student was discharged from the hospital Sunday, so everyone injured in the shooting except Marburger was able to return to Perry's home, according to a Facebook post from the victim's family.
The 17-year-old student who fired the shot died from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities said the suspect, Dylan Butler, was in possession of a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. Authorities also found a rudimentary improvised explosive device among his belongings and made it safe.
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Butler's obituary, published Friday in a local newspaper, said Dylan loved the outdoors and had a great sense of humor. He was a picky eater, and his favorite foods were macaroni and cheese, pizza, and buffalo wings. He did not mention the shooting in the article, but said his family was planning a private funeral. Since the shooting, many members of the Perry community have taken the unexpected step of offering their condolences to Butler's family.
At the school board meeting, Amir Jolliffe's mother, Erica Jolliffe, asked Butler not to be called a school shooter or a murderer in comments read on Butler's behalf.
“He has a name, and that's Dylan. By not treating him like a person, by allowing him to be bullied, by calling him by his name instead of Dylan, we may have caused what happened on January 4th.” she said. She also called on the district to review the incident from beginning to end and devise safety procedures to prevent another shooting.
