PERRY, Iowa — Classes remain out of session for Perry Middle and High School students after the Jan. 4 shooting in which 11-year-old Ahmir Joliff and high school principal Dan Marburger lost their lives. Now, the Perry School Board is in the process of creating a plan for students to return to school.
On Monday, the board met to share their empathy with the community and discuss a path forward in the midst of the tragedy.
The board welcomed public comment where parents shared concerns about their students returning to school.
"I'm not sure what you're referring to when you say lives were saved due to our procedures and training," said one Perry community member. "The way I see it is lives were lost due to our lack of preventative measures."
"The tragedy that struck our community the morning of Jan. 4 was terrifying, incomprehensible and unjust," said another community member. "Based on the information I have collected, the current protocols and standards surrounding this event were not enough."
Others speakers took time to appreciate the board's attempts to work through the tragedy.
"This is their second meeting since the tragedy and they are still looking for answers themselves," one speaker said. "Please, if you have something to say, respect they are people also, and most of them have students in the district."
Local funeral director Scott Glover spoke on behalf of Ahmir Joliff's mother, sharing her message of love for the Perry community and calling on the board to move forward with full transparency.
"We demand that events that unfolded on Jan. 4 be reviewed from start to finish. . . by sending our kids to school, we were promised that they were going to be safe," Glover said. "We expect our children to go to school and walk through the front door of our own home following classes."
The Perry School Board is set to host another public meeting on Friday at 1 p.m.