Last week, communities across the country commemorated the one-year anniversary of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead.
Locally, student activists held a memorial rally in Miller Park on Saturday, but some reflected on if anything had changed since the massacre at Parkland : Are gun laws stricter? Are schools safer?
“The topic of gun violence only seems to come up when there’s a shooting, when people die, when lives are taken from gun violence,” said Lauren Tolbert, one of the organizers of the rally and a member of Chattanooga Students Leading Change, Saturday. “We want you to know that we are still here. Today, we are here to remember the students whose lives were taken.”
While school safety remains a major topic, school leaders are currently discussing other issues, including redistricting, transportation, facilities and more.
The Hamilton County Board of Education meets several times this week: at work session Monday, for an executive session Thursday and for its regular monthly session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.