Parents got their first public opportunity to weigh in on new safety and security measures for Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., and they offered up both praise and doubt.
Some security measures have already been adopted since they were announced Aug. 3 by the school district, while others will be implemented during the first nine weeks of the school year, said Superintendent Jim Roberts, who talked about the issue during Monday’s school board meeting.
Use of one safety tool at the district’s disposal has still not been determined locally — and that’s 46 hand-held metal detectors provided by the state of Indiana.
The devises will not be utilized until the school board adopts policies regarding their use, Roberts said.
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Although recommendations are still being developed, Roberts emphasized the schools do not intend to use hand-held metal detectors on a daily basis.
But Roberts did tell the board he believes the electronic wands should only be used by people specifically trained by qualified experts.
The superintendent also stated his preference that school personnel, whose first obligation is to students, should be the ones to use the wands rather than police officers.
“When it’s an officer, it take matters to a different level,” Roberts said.
Roberts afterward said he will wait until after a full recommendation is made to the school board before discussing additional details of metal detectors.
What parents say
Audience members offered their ideas on metal detectors and other safety features or practices, however.
Scanning should be done randomly at unpredictable times so a potential shooter won’t ever feel safe bringing a weapon to school, said Kermet Merl Key, the father of a Columbus East High School junior.
But the mother of a kindergarten student told the board she considered metal detectors an illusion of safety.
The wands might be used to target and harass specific students, such as minorities or those merely in need of guidance, parent Stephanie Studley said.
A plan to add three new school resource officers in January was also described by Studley as an illusion of safety.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, had a school resource officer on the grounds when 34 students or staff were shot Feb 14, with half of them dying from their wounds.
“There is no data that shows that school resource officers protect all students,” Studley said.
But Studley said she believes other safety measures that include schools having a single-entry point for visitors, locking all other doors and electronically issued ID badges will be effective in keeping kids from harm.
All of those steps are either already in place or will be implemented over the next nine weeks, Roberts said.
BCSC has spent about $70,000 this year on security changes such as hardware and software, door locks and cameras. That is on top of $2 million that has been spent since 2013, Roberts said.
Board reaction
But such an investment of money, time and effort is one-sided in our society, board member Robert Abrams said.
With the easy availability of high-powered weaponry, as well as the number of gun owners who don’t secure their weapons at home, “we have to remind ourselves that someone with intent on doing harm can cut through all these defenses in a moment,” Abrams said.
As schools and law enforcement accept more responsibility for providing security in schools, policy makers at every level of government should be having serious conversations about sensible gun-control legislation, Abrams said.
During the discussion, another school board member said one new security measure doesn’t go far enough.
While Kathy Dayhoff-Dwyer approves of conducting background checks on school visitors, she did express reservations after Roberts said ongoing checks won’t be necessary after an individual is initially vetted.
Dayhoff-Dwyer said she’s concerned about a person getting into a school who is discovered to be a potential danger after an initial background check is conducted.
Although the main priority of the background check is to determine whether a visitor is listed on a sex-offender registry, other components involved in the vetting process will be ironed out over time, Roberts said.
“This is a continuing process, and we will get better at it every day,” the superintendent said.
School board member Rich Stenner commended BCSC administrators for using a variety of resources ranging from the Indiana School Board Association to the Indiana Department of Education to develop its safety policies.
The corporation must not only adapt evidence-based best practices, but also consider new strategies emerging from professional conferences on school safety, Stenner said.
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The next meeting of the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. board of trustees is scheduled for Aug. 27.
It will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Terrace Room at the BCSC Administration Building, 1200 Central Avenue.
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“We have to remind ourselves that someone with intent on doing harm can cut through all these defenses in a moment.”
— Robert Abrams, BCSC school board member
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