It’s been one year since Jack Sawyer was arrested for allegedly planning to shoot up Fair Haven Union High School.
The case highlighted the need for more mental health care services and school security spending. It pushed lawmakers to create a new domestic terrorism law and pass the most sweeping gun control legislation in the state’s history
But how has the past year impacted Fair Haven Union?
First, let's tackle the obvious question- where is Sawyer?
At this point, few people know and those who do aren't saying.
Sawyer’s case was transferred to family court last year, and those proceedings, by law, are confidential.
"At least several times a month a student or a staff member thinks they've seen him in the community, and so it creates some panic." - Brooke Olsen-Farrell, Superintendent of the Addison Rutland Supervisory Union
Brooke Olsen Farrell, superintendent of the Addison Rutland Supervisory Union, which includes Fair Haven Union, says the lack of transparency is hard.
“At least several times a month a student or a staff member thinks they've seen him in the community, and so it creates some panic,” Olsen-Farrell said. “And you know, I reached out to law enforcement and we reassure them that that's not the case. But I do think there is just a lack of closure and there is just this uncertainty that's hanging over everyone's heads.”
Fair Haven Police Chief William Humphries says they’ve investigated a number of bogus Sawyer sightings.
“Yeah, I think someone saw him one day when he was going go court, you know? There’s a kid who looks just like him at one of the Hannafords," Humphries said. "Even one of his teachers that worked with him thought it was him and it wasn’t.”
Which means Sawyer is still on people’s minds in Fair Haven even though Humphries says the community wants to get past him.
"It goes back to what I said a year ago that the wolf's in the woods. And you know he's in the woods and the kids have to go to school knowing it." - Fair Haven Police Chief William Humphries
“It goes back to what I said a year ago that the wolf is in the woods," Humphries said. "And you know he’s in the woods and the kids have to go to school knowing it.”
To compensate, the school district has spent about $500,000 to improve security. They added two home school coordinators, an additional school-based clinician and a second school resource officer to patrol their elementary schools.
At Fair Haven Union High School, the most visible change is a completely redesigned front entry. Hallways are dotted with additional security cameras, staff carry computerized key cards and a new district wide radio system has been added.
Despite the upgrades, the school still lost a total of 13 staff members last year. While some were due to planned reductions or retirements, Olsen-Farrell says five resignations were tied directly to Sawyer.
Principal Jason Rasco said student enrollment has declined as well.
“I just know that…our figures of school choice out and in are out of whack. That they're significantly more out than in than in,” Rasco said.
For example, high school seniors taking coursework off campus in the state’s early college program increased from three to 11. And the number of district students who opted to go to a different high school rose by more than 20 percent.
For those who remain in the school, visible change is everywhere. On a recent school day, teacher Julia Adams unlocked the door to her social studies classroom on the second floor.
“So this wall right here was glass,” Adams said as she flipped on the lights. “And it had been glass since the school was built in the 50s.”
Her room and the neighboring classroom had originally been used for typing classes. There was a glass divider so one teacher could supervise both rooms.
But after last year’s threats came to light, those windows were walled up, said Adams. “The kids walked in at first and they were like, ‘woah, what’s different?”
Evacuation instructions and emergency phone numbers are tacked to the wall next to a new two-way radio.
When asked if she feels safe coming to Fair Haven Union and if she thinks about Jack Sawyer, Adams shook her head 'no.'
“I don't think about him on a daily basis," she said. "I think about him when we're faced with an inconvenience around the school like getting in through the front or you know, the visitor passes and things like that. But on a day-to-day basis, no I don't.”
She does, however, still feel angry about what happened. “You don't threaten my kids in my classroom or my colleagues. I think everybody's always going to be a little bit upset by it, a little bit mad about it. It was a violated feeling, this is our home,” she said.
But Adams and others said the events of the past year also brought teachers, students and the community closer together.
“It was kind of like everybody just jelled together to get through it,” explained Adams. “The parents were wonderful. I can’t tell you how many times they would bring in snacks or little gifts for us to show their appreciation.”
Andrea Ochs is one of those parents. Her older daughter graduated from Fair Haven Union last year and her younger daughter Riley is a junior.
Ochs said what happened last year was tragic and she hopes Jack Sawyer is getting the help he needs. But even with his whereabouts uncertain, Ochs says Riley isn’t afraid at school and is enjoying her year.
“And I really believe that both of my children have done a great job of being able to process what happened last year.”
Robert Walsh says Rasco, the school principal, deserves credit for carving out time during the school day last year for teachers and students to work through their fears.
Walsh directs the Traumatology Institute at the College of St. Joseph and helped facilitate some of the discussions with students and teachers.
“So while there was police presence and CBS News and Governor Scott's metamorphosis about policy" Walsh said, “within the school building itself was this caring and sharing process that was going on...which was wonderful and transformative."
"It allowed students to know that people were minding the store, making sure no evil was going to happen, and that there was time and opportunity for them to really exhale.”
And get back to a sense of normalcy, he said.
Adams said that’s something she’s finally starting to feel. “Like we had eighth grade step up night, last night. And to me that was one of the first nights that I can remember that it was, like, it was fun,” said Adams. “And we had past graduates come back and they spoke to the upcoming eighth grade, soon-to-be-ninth-grade-kids talking about the opportunities here. And so I think that there’s a positive note. A brighter note this year than we had last year for sure.”
