In the wake of last Friday’s school shooting in Connecticut, superintendents throughout the county have issued statements expressing their sorrow and noting the safety measures their districts have taken to prevent such an incident from happening closer to home.

Twenty young children and six adults were murdered Friday in a shooting spree undertaken by Adam Lanza, who then killed himself when he heard police approaching the scene of most of the murders: Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn.

Maine Department of Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen responded to the news with a statement issued Monday, asking all school districts to review their emergency plans and update them as necessary, working with local public safety representatives.

“Friday’s tragedy in Newtown, Conn. has shocked and saddened us beyond words,” wrote Bowen. “Naturally, parents and students and the community want to know that Maine schools are safe. While we can never guarantee that our schools are 100 percent danger-free, we can provide assurances that we have plans in place.”

York County’s school districts are doing just that.

“We are very vigilant about security around the district,” said Biddeford Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Ray, in an email Monday. The district will be reviewing its procedures, he said, and will soon issue a report of any recommendations for improvement.

“We’re always trying to be cognizant and keep the kids safe,” said Paulette Bonneau, principal of John F. Kennedy Kindergarten Center in Biddeford, in a phone interview Monday. Safety “is something in the forefront all the time,” she said, as violence is part of “the world we live in.”

In the Massabesic Regional School Unit 57 ”“ covering Limerick, Lyman, Waterboro, Shapleigh, Alfred and Newfield ”“ Superintendent John Davis said safety is a priority every day.

“We believe the schools are safe, and we do practice required fire and lockdown drills,” he said. The schools also require visitors to sign in, he said, but “there is no one strategy that you can think, ”˜If we do this, we’ll be fine.’”

He said Monday that RSU 57 has been working on improved security measures for about a year, via a special committee of the school board. The district commissioned a security and safety audit through the York County Sheriff’s Office last year, he said, and the committee is reviewing its recommendations.

Davis said he believes last Friday’s murders will move up the district’s implementation timeline for improved measures. He has met with the school resource officer to develop strategies, he said, and will be asking administrators, parents and staff for their most critical security concerns.

“It’s such an active community,” said Davis, noting sporting events and other school gatherings. “How do you secure everyone for every event? You can’t.”

In Sanford, Superintendent David Theoharides issued a letter to parents noting that the district is “constantly reviewing and updating our crisis plan” to ensure student and staff safety. The district practices its emergency plans on a regular basis, he said, and works with public safety officials to “maximize school safety and security.”

“The well-being of our students is our top concern,” said Theoharides.

In RSU 21, covering Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel, Superintendent Andrew Dolloff said the district plans to review its crisis plan, which it does every fall, but will take another look this year in light of the shooting.

When asked about resources for parents of children struggling with mental illness or who may be concerned their child will become out of control, Dolloff said, “There are limited resources to intervene with young people who are troubled, but our goal each day is to build meaningful relationships with all students, in an attempt to reach our ultimate goal of producing productive citizens.

“We continue to work toward that goal each day.”

Patrick Phillips, superintendent of schools for RSU 23, which covers Saco, Dayton and Old Orchard Beach, said the RSU has continually worked to improve safety measures, installing video cameras and locking doors at the main entrances of schools, with the exception of Dayton Consolidated School, where teachers and students move from the main building to the modular building.

Phillips said he will work with staff to develop a plan to bring Dayton’s security up to the level of the other schools in the district.

“I wish I had the words to help us all move from heartbreak to hope,” wrote Phillips in a letter to parents on the RSU website, “but at times like this, words seem too limited, too small in face of the need.”

He and the school board will be discussing the possibility of a public discussion in January to allow parents and citizens to discuss their thoughts on school safety. Phillips encouraged people with concerns to speak with him, principals, school counselors or school board members.

RSU 23 Board Chairman Gary Curtis said in an email Tuesday that he would meet with the Old Orchard Beach town manager and police chief that night to review safety measures in town.

Most districts are not directly addressing the shooting with students, but all said they have counselors available for those who need support.

“We respect the decision of individual parents who have made the decision to protect their young children by keeping this information from them,” said Dolloff, in RSU 21. Teachers there were prepared to discuss the subject with individual students who asked questions or spoke about the events, he said, but the shooting was not discussed with the entire elementary student body.

At the Middle School of the Kennebunks and Kennebunk High School, teachers were given a prepared statement to read to students at the beginning of the school day on Monday, which was followed by a moment of silence in honor of the victims, their families and the Newtown community.

Sanford’s Theoharides said in his letter to parents that “every individual will respond to news of this tragedy in different ways.

“I encourage you to observe how those around you may be reacting to news of this event and provide an opportunity for them to talk about their feelings.”

He suggested the National Association of School Psychologists resource sheet, www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/talkingviolence.pdf, to help parents discuss the incident with their children.

Phillips, in RSU 23, said staff members at all the district’s schools were prepared Monday to speak with students, answer questions and reassure them that the schools is doing everything possible to keep them safe