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Parents and community leaders tell MCPS board Kennedy High School is unsafe; call for immediate safety investments
Summary
Following a shelter-in-place and subsequent lockdown at John F. Kennedy High School on Jan. 23, parents, cluster coordinators and advocates urged the Montgomery County Board of Education to invest in security staff, technical fixes and a community-informed safety plan.
Multiple community speakers told the Montgomery County Board of Education that Kennedy High School has experienced repeated safety and behavior incidents and urged immediate action from MCPS. A community witness described two separate Jan. 23 incidents at Kennedy — a shelter-in-place and a later lockdown stemming from reports of a student with a gun; the weapon was not recovered.
"Kennedy is not safe and has not been safe for a long time," said a community speaker, recounting reports from students, staff and parents who described routine lockdowns, on-campus drug activity and chronic behavioral challenges. The speaker urged MCPS to implement recommendations from a June safety audit by the office of systemwide emergency management, including increasing safety staff, fixing technical and infrastructure gaps and developing a meaningful plan with community input.
Cluster leaders and PTA presidents reiterated those concerns. Nicole Mayer, Kennedy PTA president, described ongoing incidents and urged additional staff and security adjustments to help manage behavior, and multiple cluster coordinators recommended card scanners, additional security assistants and improved memorandum-of-understanding language with the county police to clarify roles and transparency.
Board members acknowledged the reports and asked staff to follow up with details; Superintendent Taylor introduced CFO and finance staff earlier in the evening for budget follow-ups. Community speakers linked safety concerns to broader budget priorities: several asked that the FY26 operating budget preserve or fund increased security assistance positions alongside investments in counselors and restorative justice coaches to address root causes and trauma-informed supports.
No formal board decision was reached on security staffing at the hearing; the board requested staff follow-up and flagged the incident for further review as part of FY26 deliberations.
