WASCO, Calif. (KERO) — As high school football returns across Kern County, outlying districts are also rolling out new safety measures in response to the deadly shooting at Independence High School.
Superintendents in both Wasco and McFarland say conversations have been happening countywide about which new rules and tools can be deployed to keep communities safer at large events, such as football games.
McFarland Unified School District has been working to deploy enhanced safety measures dating back to last year, beginning with high school and junior high graduations, and is carrying those lessons into the new school year.
In an email to parents and staff earlier this week, McFarland Superintendent Aaron Resendez addressed the changes.
"Moving forward, families and community members may notice an increased law enforcement presence and additional safety protocols at District events. Please know that some safety protocols will also be taking place behind the scenes."
Resendez also sent 23ABC the list of event safety rules the district sent to parents, which appears to be very similar to the rules put in place by the Kern High School District, as districts countywide — including McFarland Unified and Wasco Union — have been working to collaborate on best practices.
A few miles south, Wasco Union Superintendent Kevin Tallon said the district has not yet officially released a list of new security measures, because it won't have a large-scale home event for the next three weeks. However, the district will have multiple opportunities — including Friday night when the Tigers take on Garces — to evaluate what works before finalizing its new procedures.
"We're playing out of town three road games at Garces, which is a private school, and then Foothill, the Kern High School District school, and then Roosevelt in Fresno. So, we're gonna look at each of those procedures, and we've established ours. We'll see how theirs have changed and glean from each of them and then finalize ours in the next two weeks and make them public to our community," Tallon said.
Back in Bakersfield, a spokesperson for the Bakersfield Police Department confirmed to 23ABC that the Kern High School District has requested additional staffing for Friday night's games.
Districts across Kern County are asking spectators to familiarize themselves with the new rules ahead of games this season.
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