BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — Tuesday marked six months since the shooting on Apalachee High School’s campus devastated the Barrow County community.
Two students and two teachers died in the shooting: Mason Schermerhorn, 14, Christian Angulo, 14, Coach Ricky Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53.
Eight students and a teacher were hospitalized, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
“Healing is a process, and, each day, we might have different feelings. I don’t think anybody fully heals from something like that,” Dion Muldrow said.
Muldrow is the Director of Bands at Apalachee High School, and he spoke during the public comment portion of Barrow County’s Board of Education meeting Tuesday night.
He told the board, “Support staff in that building does everything they can to make sure our life is easier, and our administration is doing our best.”
He told Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco this is an important week for teachers. They are supposed to decide by Friday whether they would like to renew contracts with the district. Barrow County School System says teachers have until June to change their minds.
Muldrow said he plans to return to Apalachee High School next school year.
“Circumstances are tough,” Muldrow said. “Everybody is trying their best.”
Families who have pushed for security upgrades at the school also spoke to the board.
The organizer of a group called Change for Chee, Layla Renee Contreras, said now is the time to add time to heal to teacher contracts.
“They need to do more to make sure teachers aren’t using their sick leave,” said Contreras. “They should have more PTO.”
Family members of the students killed in the shooting were in the crowd watching the meeting.
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“I’ve been in touch with Mason’s family and Christian’s family and they’re going through roller coasters,” Contreras said. “This is six months since they lost their family members. How do you move on from that? You don’t.”
Right now, Apalachee High School teachers are allowed 90 minutes a week to leave campus for counseling, according to Barrow County School System.
District staff told the board during the meeting that they have hired one clinician trained in trauma counseling.
That is one of two people who will be dedicated to serving students on campus.
Staff said the district is in the process of hiring the second one. The district is also working to hire a clinician who will focus their time on serving teachers on campus.
The district is also adding a recovery coordinator to the team.
At last count, personnel records indicate seven staff members have left Apalachee High School since the shooting for various reasons. Those range from transfers to resignations.
That’s compared to five in the same time period the previous school year.
“Apalachee is a great school,” Muldrow said. “We are working hard to make sure our kids feel good, and then, we, hopefully, can support each other and, hopefully, the supports will continue to come to help us get better and better.”
Barrow County School System is holding a career fair on March 8, 2025, at Winder-Barrow High School from 9:00 am until 11: 00 am. For more information, click here.
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