SCHOOL SECURITY EXPECTED TO BE ENHANCED
NO STATE ACTION BEING PROPOSED BY WOLF
Last night about a hundred residents of Northwestern Lehigh School district attended a meeting to voice concerns about school safety and security.
While there is some action possible on the state level, the Governor has not weighed in on any plans to address school security on the state level. The legislator is planning on addressing some issues on this matter. It appears it will be up to the individual school districts to make the decisions on enhancing school security.
Superintendent Mary Ann Wright talked about all the internal efforts at social monitoring and attempting to identify students who may be a problem in the future. She also stressed that the school cannot identify internal problems in the school concerning minor children. These students are protected, as they should be, by law. While these issues are important, they were not the most pressing issues on the public's mind.
Most of the audience, with a few exceptions who believed that we must accept a certain amount of risk, believe that enhanced security was necessary. Everything was discussed from getting a professional evaluation of what security could be added, adding metal detectors, to allowing qualified teachers to carry concealed weapons and hiring more armed security guards.
Most of these issues can be addressed without changes to state or federal law. Even the allowing of teachers to be armed can be utilized under certain instance's according to existing law.
There were some who feared having teachers armed.
The school has been increasing security for some time. They have been focusing on these issues from identifying children with emotional problems to increasing physical security of the property. It is a difficult and continually ongoing focus to insure the safety of students.
The administration states that they will be discussing increased security in the future and that another safety meeting may be in the offing in the future.
The public is encouraged to attend school board meetings that are held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month.
It was a cordial and respectful meeting that opened a dialogue with the community concerning these matters. It appeared that most everyone thought it a useful and productive meeting.
The admin. has to stop protecting bullies , because they are connected. The bullies pick on kids who are not like them, or they are not big sports people. What kind of mentors do we have on the staff? Those who condone drinking parties?
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