In the aftermath of the fatal New Rochelle shooting that claimed one teenager's life and led to the arrest of another, School Superintendent Jonathan Raymond was blunt Tuesday.
"We failed them," Raymond said during a community forum that evening. "And the community failed them and it's important that we acknowledge that. I and many of us here wish we could turn back the clock and change the events that had happened but we cannot."
About 100 school community members in attendance at Columbus Elementary School appeared to agree with Raymond's assessment, but placed much of the blame on the school district's inability to reach some of the students most in need.
During the hour-long, town hall-style meeting, parents, teachers and students implored district officials to reevaluate how they can prevent violence among New Rochelle teenagers before the city faces another youth tragedy.
Exactly two weeks earlier on Jan. 25, Julian Oliveros, 16, was fatally shot allegedly by another 16-year-old with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, police said. A makeshift memorial marks where the violent confrontation occurred on Washington Avenue and Fourth Street on the west end of the city.
The teenager, who police have not identified, was charged with 2nd-degree murder. A felony complaint provided by the Westchester District Attorney's Office stated the victim was struck with multiple bullets.
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The victim and alleged shooter were enrolled in the school system but were not regularly attending school, Raymond said the day after the shooting.
"The attitude also is that this school district and this community have been failing a number of our students for far too long and that has to change," Raymond said Tuesday. "Our students want to learn, they want to be successful."
Raymond committed that in the coming weeks and months, school officials will launch a process that would transform how the district teaches students in hopes of getting them more engaged. He said social and emotional learning would be part of the focus.
The plan would start with the high school and then trickle down to the two middle schools, Raymond said.
He stressed the district would seek student input.
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Community speaks out for solutions
First, the school community offered plenty of guidance for school officials Tuesday.
Resident Martin Sanchez, who previously served on the school board, argued school and city officials don't have the same urgency to address this fatal shooting compared to four years ago when 16-year-old Valaree Schwab was fatally stabbed by another student. The crime occurred during the school day, but off school grounds on North Avenue.
He said the lack of attention toward Oliveros' death is a "thorough disrespect to our Black and brown community."
Parent Don Vega said previous discussed strategies and programs implemented would not have prevented the latest shooting. He wanted to know what the district could do for students in the future.
"We need stuff for kids to do," he said. "We need stuff in the community for people to use, we need resources. The board and the district has resources, the city has resources, none of these resources are reaching the community."
Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah, Westchester County Executive George Latimer and Congressman Jamaal Bowman were some of the elected officials on hand.
Resident Yolanda Valencia said a district task force she served on four years ago aimed at reducing youth violence offered almost two-dozen suggestions, but it appears the school district didn't follow through on them.
Valencia, who no longer has children in the school system, said she can only imagine how parents are feeling following the most recent act of violence.
Barbara Meda, a New Rochelle High School senior, said the school needs to better connect resources with students. She was surprised when there was no official acknowledgment in the high school the day after the shooting.
"And I thought that the school was just trying to wipe their hands," Meda said. "And be like, "Well they didn't come to school so it's not on us."
Bringing students back to school
Several community members questioned how school officials were working to get students who had stopped attending classes back to school.
Raymond said school officials have been looking at all records and trying to find ways to get in touch with students not attending classes. When asked if there was a number of students skipping schools, Raymond replied, "not to share with you."
When school officials realize a student is truant, he said phone calls and home visits are made to locate that student.
"And figure out how do we get them back into class, are there some issues, have they moved" Raymond said. "So it's a very involved process and it's a process that we're working to get better at."
David Propper covers Westchester County. Reach him at dpropper@lohud.com and follow him on Twitter: dg_props. Our local coverage is only possible with support from our readers.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: New Rochelle school leaders, community look to stop teen violence
