If I were to name some of the most memorable school shootings in United States history, this paper would never end.
As a student myself, my priorities are the following when I get to school: 1. Stay alive, 2. Get an A on the math test, 3. Finish ELA homework.
About five years ago, my priorities were 1. Remember basketball for recess, 2. Study for spelling quiz, 3. Finish the science project.
The 2025-26 school year has already kicked off with events such as Homecoming, football games, and pep rallies, and students are gathering for late nights with friends to create memories to last a lifetime.
But what happens when the everlasting happy moments end up clouded with fear? What happens when the matching corsage turns into a clear backpack? What happens when the recess break turns into a drill, which turns into the next news headline?
Unfortunately, all the above events have occurred – not once, not twice, not even 100 times! Since 2020, there have been upwards of 1,000 school shootings in the U.S. In 2025 alone, there have been over 140 deaths and injuries caused by school shootings.
When does it stop? When does the number of shootings, deaths, and trauma get high enough for someone to decide, “This must end!”
Personally, when there was one school shooting, I decided that the number was too high.
Schools need to increase their security. Whether it means increasing the cost to enroll into a school, or raising the budget when it comes to building safety, our schools need to be protected.
In times where children are being killed daily, our concern shouldn’t be how much money we are spending, but rather that our children are safe.
Parents send their children to school trusting that school is the place where they can learn safely and build connections, but now it’s turned into an environment of fear and anxiety.
Things such as screening every guest that enters the building, especially adults, advanced cameras, and more security measures within classrooms would help end this epidemic.
Devices such as buttons that alert emergency personnel, bulletproof windows, and doors that lock on the inside can aid those in crisis. All of this technology will cause a dent in the budget, but how far are we willing to go to save our kids?
These are ideas that have the potential to change the U.S.A. and save the younger generation, but are being put to the side. If the future of our country is at risk, then what will happen? Are we, as American citizens, more worried about money than we are about children?
