Gilbert Public Schools Superintendent Shane McCord called on the community to keep a “watchful eye” on its children to ensure what happened to San Tan Valley teen Preston Lord does not happen again.
McCord made his statement as part of his superintendent’s report at the Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board meeting Jan. 30.
“Violence has no place in our community or our schools,” McCord said. “We all — parents, school districts and the community — need to come together and put our arms around our children and each other to ensure our community is healthy and safe.”
Lord, 16, was beaten by a group at a house party in Queen Creek on Oct. 28 and died two later at a Phoenix hospital. McCord called it “unimaginable and heartbreaking” and asked people to keep the family in their prayers.
McCord said he and three other GPS officials — assistant superintendents Marcie Taylor and Jason Martin and K-12 Prevention Coordinator Susie Cadena — met with Gilbert Town Councilmember Chuck Bongiovanni about the need to come together to prevent teen violence.
Bongiovanni, a member of the Gilbert Town Council Subcommittee on Teen Violence, discussed the survey of teens he has proposed be distributed through the local school districts as well as private and charter schools to get a better understanding of the struggles teens are facing when it comes to teen violence.
The survey is being constructed, but once done, McCord said he would have a chance to review it before it being sent out.
He also mentioned a letter he sent out to GPS families before winter break about teen violence and reiterated some of its themes.
“We asked them to ask as many questions as you can, and when you're done, ask more questions,” McCord said. “If you see something or experience something, please say something.”
We would like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Tom Blodgett can be reached by email at tblodgett@iniusa.org or follow him @sp_blodgett on X.
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
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