Blog

May 27, 2023

Sand Springs schools strengthens football security protocols

Referee Richard Dixon officiates the opening coin toss for Sand Springs and Sapulpa players to start the Highway 97 rivalry game Friday. New security procedures will be in place the next time the

Referee Richard Dixon officiates the opening coin toss for Sand Springs and Sapulpa players to start the Highway 97 rivalry game Friday. New security procedures will be in place the next time the Sandites take the field on Sept. 8 against Bixby.

In light of several gun-related incidents, one fatal, at high school football games in Oklahoma last week, Sand Springs Public Schools on Wednesday released information about new protocols for people attending home football games at Memorial Stadium.

New safety measures include an increased presence of school district officials, a transparent-bag policy and student IDs being required for any minor student not accompanied by a parent.

Additionally, armed security officers who previously were scattered around the stadium now will be concentrated at the entrance gates.

A 16-year-old boy was killed Friday at a football game between Choctaw and Del City at the game in Choctaw, east of Oklahoma City.

The shooting reportedly followed an argument between two males at the game. Players on the field and spectators scrambled for cover as the gunfire began during the third quarter.

A 15-year-old girl was wounded in the leg, and a 42-year-old man was shot in the chest, authorities said.

A 15-year-old boy is in custody in connection with the homicide, authorities said.

Also Friday, a male teenager brandished a pistol in front of a crowd of students at S.E. Williams Stadium in Tulsa during a game between Booker T. Washington and Bentonville, Arkansas, causing a brief stampede in the stands, Tulsa police reported.

And a tip led Mayes County deputies to recover an unloaded gun from a Pryor student during Pryor’s game at Locust Grove, authorities said.

A news release from Sand Springs Public Schools on Wednesday said the district is “dedicated to providing a safe and enjoyable environment for all attendees at athletics events. In light of recent incidents at schools across Oklahoma, we are implementing new security procedures for football games and other athletics events hosted at Sand Springs.”

Although the Sandites have a bye week this week, the new policies will be in place when the varsity football squad hosts the Bixby Spartans on Sept. 8.

Sand Springs Public Schools Communications Director Lissa Chidester said the biggest changes have to do with bags brought into the stadium and identification required to enter.

Students in grades 6 through 12 from both Sand Springs and any visiting districts will be required to present their school ID upon entry unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Unaccompanied middle-schoolers will continue to be required to sit in a particular section that has additional monitoring.

All students in prekindergarten through fifth grade must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to attend events at the stadium, according to the school district news release.

Any student younger than 18 who does not attend one of the two schools playing must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Any student age 18 or older will be allowed to attend unaccompanied but will be treated as an adult.

All attendees, including students, parents, staff members and visitors, will be allowed to take only clear bags into the stadium so that security personnel can easily inspect the contents to ensure that prohibited items aren’t allowed in.

Cases containing medically necessary items or equipment, such as insulin or EpiPens, will be permitted, although they will be subject to inspection, the district said.

As always, weapons and alcoholic beverages of any kind are prohibited in the stadium.

Eight armed police officers serving as security officers will be on duty during games. Although the number is the same as were on duty before the policy changes, Chidester said, the officers previously were dispersed throughout the crowd. Now, they will be concentrated at each entrance, she said.

Games also will have an increased presence of Sand Springs Public Schools staff, she said. District administrators will wear clearly marked neon yellow shirts to be easily identifiable in the crowd.

Lastly, according to the news release, the district encourages spectators to speak out if they see or hear anything suspicious by reporting it to district personnel or security officers, and signs for the STOPIt Anonymous Reporting App will be placed throughout the stadium.

“Please know that these changes are not made lightly,” the news release states. “The safety of our students, staff, and community remains our priority.”

Chidester said the changes are “a response to recent events. There hasn’t been any cause for concern at Sand Springs specifically, but we want to make sure that we’re protecting our kids. We’re trying to be very proactive about it.”

She said the district has received responses both for and against the changes, but “I would say the majority of the response has been positive because people know that we’re trying to protect their kids. And they want to protect their kids, too.”

Meanwhile, two of the schools involved in last week’s gun episodes will meet on the football field this week, albeit earlier than originally scheduled.

Booker T. Washington and Del City will play in Del City at 6 p.m. Thursday instead of on Friday to allow for additional security at the game.

Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association Executive Director David Jackson told the Tulsa World earlier this week that he has confidence that school districts are doing everything possible to ensure students’ safety.

“We don’t force schools to do specific things. We leave it up to them,” he said. “The schools deal with security issues every day and keeping their kids safe at school, so they don’t need us to tell them how to keep people safe. That’s something they do and do well every day.

“We just count on them to conduct the measures they have in place. And, for the most part, they all do a really good job.”

[email protected]

9/8 vs. Bixby

9/15 at Ponca City

9/22 at Muskogee

9/29 vs. Tahlequah (Homecoming)

10/5 at Stillwater

10/13 at Putnam City West

10/19 vs. Bartlesville

10/27 vs. Booker T. Washington (Senior night)

11/3 at U.S. Grant

*All varsity games 7 p.m. Home games in bold.

9/11 at Bixby (6 p.m.)

9/18 vs. Ponca City (6 p.m.)

9/25 vs. Muskogee (6 p.m.)

10/2 at Sapulpa (6 p.m.)

10/9 vs. Broken Arrow (6 p.m.)

10/16 vs. Collinsville (6:30 p.m.)

10/23 at Bartlesville (6:30 p.m.)

10/30 at Booker T. Washington (6 p.m.)

Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Sand Springs Leader Staff Writer

Seventeen-year-old Aidan Lewis is a problem solver. As a newly minted Eagle Scout who wants to be an engineer someday, it’s a handy trait to have.

Led by sophomore quarterback Easton Webb, Sand Springs has some key players where it counts.

The half-million-dollar gift was a “complete surprise” for the nonprofit, which serves survivors of domestic abuse and human trafficking at it…

Customers and clients of local merchants and businesses stand to reap cash rewards, but first, the businesses must sign up to participate. The…

“We are very fortunate in Sand Springs,” Assistant Superintendent Kristin Arnold said. “A lot of people seek us out.”