I’m an international student coming into 9th grade this fall and I’ve been hearing about school shootings in the states recently. Are boarding schools less prone to situations like this since most of the kids at BS worked hard to get in and they genuinely want to be there? Regular dorm checks probably prevent kids from hiding weapons in their rooms, right? I’m scared. What do you guys think?
America is a gun culture, unfortunately. There is never a zero chance of a shooting, at a school or elsewhere. But boarding schools do enjoy a much closer relationship between faculty/administrators and students, and a greater awareness of who belongs on campus, making a tragedy less likely, but never zero. Boarding schools are also private institutions and can expel a child for any reason whenever they choose. I would not give it a second’s worry!!
Since many (but not all) school shootings are carried out by students with access to their parents guns, there should in theory be a lower chance of such an event at a boarding school. However, who knows who is going to angry at whom and for what reason…but that can happen anywhere, not just a school. If you’re going to prioritize what to worry about according to statistical probability, you would be far more fearful of the ride in the shuttle to and from the airport from BS. Better to spend 5 minutes reading about and thinking through what you might do in such a situation (anywhere in the world), then get on with being excited about starting school next year.