PORTLAND, Ore. — Two students with Portland Public Schools voiced their concerns to district leaders over gun violence in and around schools. Eighth grader Naomi Basaca from Laurelhurst Middle School and senior Jorge Sanchez-Bautista from McDaniel High addressed the Portland Public Schools Board of Education Tuesday night, representing hundreds of students who signed a petition demanding action.
"An overall fear that all students have to deal with," Basaca said. "I have seen my classmates cry and panic during active shooter drills and I just think it is so crazy how big of an issue gun violence is, and how unfazed adults are about it and I just wanted to do something about it."
Sanchez-Bautista told KGW that school board members are responsible for doing more to address the issue.
"They have power. They're a school board," Sanchez-Bautista said. "They have a lot of things that they can do, you know, it's more like, who is there to motivate them and who is there to push them and that's the community?"
Basaca's mother expressed her support.
"I think children are offering that unique perspective and I'm glad they're speaking up because we're just in a cycle of constant gun violence," said Elizabeth Basaca.
There are five demands for both school and state leaders: supporting students with trauma-informed practices during lockdowns and drills; increasing mental health support; fixing up communities and the schools within them; raising the age to purchase semi-automatic long guns to 21 in Oregon; and requiring schools to pass out information on secure storage of firearms.
"These are proven ways that we can make schools secure and soon safer. As board members, it's on you to make these changes," Basaca said.
Sanchez-Bautista said gun violence is not only a local issue, but a nationwide one as well.
"This isn't just a local problem, but a national matter, as we've seen so many school shootings and violence occur in schools," said Sanchez-Bautista, "You know, this has become so common that when we see it on the news, we're not even shocked or surprised. But we're just like, 'OK, this is sad.' You know, like, we need to do something about it."
Board members thanked the students for their testimony and for formally addressing the issues head-on. They acknowledged, too, the need for more discussion as the school year continues.
"I am all for students advocating and I think they're totally on the right track," said board member Julia Brim-Edwards.
Fellow board member Herman Greene agreed.
"We know that there are a lot more shootings that are happening within a one mile radius of our schools than we would like to talk about," Greene said, "And a mile is too close."