The Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. plans to apply for free handheld metal detectors being offered by the state, but hasn’t determined how or where the devices will be used.
Gov. Eric Holcomb announced a new program last week that would make handheld metal detectors available to schools. The state is spending up to $550,000 for the devices that will be paid for by the Indiana Department of Administration.
One handheld metal detector would be available for every 250 students in public, charter and accredited private schools by request. BCSC intends to apply for the metal detectors and is still determining how they would be used, BCSC superintendent Jim Roberts said.
Based on BCSC’s enrollment of 11,506 students enrolled during the 2017-18 school year, the district expects to receive more than 40 handheld metal detectors from the state, Roberts said.
“We are not every single day going to have kids go through metal detectors,” Roberts said. “We will look at it as a district resource.”
Schools must submit requests for handheld metal detectors by Thursday to be delivered in mid-August, according to the state.
“Controlling what comes into our school buildings is just one important part of keeping our schools safe and our efforts to assist school corporations must be ongoing and evolving,” Holcomb said. “Local officials are best positioned to determine their school safety needs and the measures that make sense for their students and communities and — for many — these handheld metal detectors could make a substantial difference.”
School security has remained a top priority for BCSC after threats against Columbus East High School and its students were made Feb. 20 and 21. That followed a Feb. 14 incident in Parkland, Florida, in which 14 students and three teachers were shot and killed.
Roberts also plans to provide a school safety and security update during Monday’s school board meeting. That will involve informing board members about the handheld metal detectors, he said.
“We believe the community expects us to take advantage of something given to us,” Roberts said.
Parent reaction
Jenni Muncie-Sujan, a parent to a Columbus East High School junior and a Parkside Elementary School fifth-grader, commended the district in applying for the handheld metal detectors.
Muncie-Sujan created a Facebook group, BCSC Safety Now Parent Forum, and has spoken about school security with the school board twice earlier this year.
“I hope we can come up with a plan on how they will be used,” Muncie-Sujan said.
However, she said she thinks the handheld metal detectors should be used in conjunction with a security system, along with badges issued to students, staff and faculty at school buildings around the district.
Muncie-Sujan also suggested the district look into the use of volunteers involving the handheld metal detectors if manpower is an issue. She added that she wants to see a plan developed by the district regarding the devices.
“I’m pleased that they’re doing it and I’ll be comforted when they’re applied,” she said.
Other than discussions involving handheld metal detectors, Roberts said he intends to share information with the board about visible changes related to school security that students and visitors can expect to see when school begins Aug. 8.
He declined to reveal what those potential changes involve, saying further details would be made public during the board meeting.
In May, the district hired Facility Engineering Associates, based in Washington, D.C., to perform an audit at Schmitt Elementary School and Columbus North High School in assessing school security, done at no cost to the district, officials said.
The district also plans to provide details Monday involving its Counseling Counts program, which is intended to help students who are dealing with drug and alcohol abuse, suicidal thoughts, homelessness and other issues.
BCSC was awarded $1.1 million last year from the Lilly Endowment for the program, a two-tiered approach focused on prevention and providing acute care to pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students. It is being done through a partnership with groups such as Centerstone, Family Services Inc. and Columbus Regional Health, according to the district.
The district is adding social workers in all of its school buildings, said Bill Jensen, BCSC’s director of secondary education. That effort will continue until 2021, he said.
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Details about school security measures taken by the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. will be discussed with school board members during its 6:30 p.m. meeting Monday at the BCSC administration building, 1200 Central Ave.
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