Parma City Schools vow safety review, increased officer presence after Valley Forge incident as community presses for metal detectors

The Parma City School District board on April 23 heard a detailed statement from Superintendent Dr. Hunt on the district’s response to an incident at Valley Forge High School and a series of public comments demanding faster, tougher safety measures.

Dr. Hunt opened his prepared remarks by expressing sympathy for the family and community and said the district would share only verified information while respecting student privacy and an active law-enforcement investigation. “We are committed to sharing accurate and verified information with our community and with the media while also respecting the integrity of the ongoing law enforcement investigation and student privacy laws,” he said. He described emergency protocols that secured the building, staff actions to protect students and the rapid engagement of first responders.

The superintendent outlined near-term steps: both Valley Forge and Normandy high schools were closed for the day to provide supports, Valley Forge will return on an abbreviated schedule April 24 with staggered attendance for grades 9–10 and 11–12, and all district schools will return to their typical schedules on Monday with increased visible security and counseling services available. He said the Parma Heights Police Department has increased patrols and is adding officers inside Valley Forge.

Dr. Hunt also said he will convene a superintendent safety and security committee of administrators, board members, law-enforcement and mental-health professionals after the investigative phase concludes to review protocols and identify improvements. He reminded the community of reporting resources and crisis lines and announced the board will move future meetings to Valley Forge High School beginning May 7 to improve acoustics and public access.

In public comment that followed, students and parents pressed the board to go further. “We need metal detectors,” said Patrick Lloyd, a 12th-grade student at Valley Forge, who said he was within roughly 30 feet of where a body was found and heard gunfire and screams. Multiple speakers urged the district to limit building entry points, use metal detectors during school days and events, expand mental-health supports and press state and federal officials for funding.

Parents and students repeatedly described gaps in bullying reporting, inconsistent enforcement of routine procedures, and insufficient school-based mental-health staffing. Alyssa Beerman, a Valley Forge junior who said she knew the student who died, told the board the student had repeatedly sought help for bullying and that promised resources had not materialized.

At least one speaker, Hillary Jackson, a parental-rights advocate, made allegations about a Greenbryer Middle School principal’s conduct and records handling and demanded the principal’s resignation; the board did not take personnel action at the meeting and no formal response was recorded during public comment.

Dr. Hunt noted the district has pursued safety-related grants totaling about $1.7 million since 2020—Attorney General school-safety grants, Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and Ohio Facilities Construction Commission awards among them—to fund radios, video systems, vestibule security upgrades and other equipment. He said the district will continue reviewing where funding and operational changes are needed.

Next steps announced at the meeting: the superintendent’s safety committee will be formed after the law-enforcement investigation; the district will provide updates when information is confirmed and appropriate to share; and the board will consider operational adjustments including meeting location and further safety measures. The district also directed increased law-enforcement presence at affected campuses for the immediate reopening period.