Covenant School shooting prompts security reviews, closures in Middle Tennessee

The Rutherford County Board of Education announced that all schools in its jurisdiction will be closed to students for security reviews on Monday, in response to The Covenant School shooting in Nashville.

Director of Schools Jimmy Sullivan said principals, teachers and support staff will use Monday to "debrief the situation that occurred in Nashville and review all safety procedures before students return," in a message to parents, students and staff on Saturday.

Schools were closed countywide last week for Spring Break.

"We’ve heard from many parents and employees with questions about our own procedures and safety measures," Sullivan said. "We have many items and practices in place to increase safety in our schools, including routine drills, controlled access to buildings, armed School Resource Officers, and a robust partnership with law enforcement."

This affects dozens of elementary, middle and high schools in Rutherford County, which includes Murfreesboro, La Vergne and Smyrna. However, Murfreesboro-city schools have not cancelled classes.

"Students will be out of school Monday while our safety teams within each building will review safety procedures with all building employees," Sullivan said. "Again, students will not report to school until Tuesday, April 4.

"I know a day out of school can be an inconvenience for some parents, but our first priority is the safety of all children and employees, and we want to ensure everyone is prepared."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Covenant School shooting prompts security reviews, school closures