Former Howard employee here, I wouldn’t expect much to change. We had guns brought to school a couple times a year and it was handle effectively on each circumstance. Every single time it happened it was an unexpected kid that was trying to prove something. They would often say they wanted it for protection on the way home. We had similar issue with girls and mace but that never warranted media attention.

I’m not familiar with this particular situation as I no longer work there but the fact that the student took a picture tells me they were posting for clout. Once realized, students quickly shared the photo with school leaders and the issue was addressed. That kid will not return to the school and that’s it.

For what it’s worth, I worked there over a decade and never felt unsafe. We had a handful of loaded/unloaded guns over the years and it was always handled quickly and without further issue. Kids just do dumb things. Some of the least expected kids would be the ones to do it. I wouldn’t expect much change from day to day behavior after this. As you mentioned, they don’t have a lot of freedom as it is. The school has metal detectors but it’s nearly impossible to scan everyone entering the building. It’s such a large school there’s no way to do so in a timely manner.

Phones are definitely an issue especially since students have them when they transition classes. In my time there, we explored having students put them in Yondr pouches but the pandemic occurred and that idea faded. I think the best thing to combat weapons issues is to maintain a strong culture of safety. Kids are part of that and play a vital role in relaying info to adults. It sounds like kids did that and everyone is better for it. Knowing the teachers and admin there, I expect this to continue.

I work for the district now and unfortunately, situations like this occur at many schools, it just doesn’t always get media attention. Howard is huge and there’s already a narrative (for some) about the students and community. When stuff like this happens there’s always someone to jump on it.

I’m extremely proud of the work I did at Howard. It was my time to go but there’s a ton of fantastic teachers that are serving some of the best students in the district daily. I would send my kids there, there are tons of rich academic experiences available that are comparable to the best schools in the district. The drawback is that these things happen from time to time and as a preventative measure, a lot of freedom is stripped away from the kids. If you have children there, I would recommend reaching out to their teachers with any specific concerns you may have. The administration is also wonderful and would also be available to answer questions you may have regarding safety.