 | Dr.Glenn Fortmayer is Superintendent of USD 247 Southeast. He has been a superintendent for four years and administrator for 15 of 23 years in education. He is working with Southeast on initiatives including: expanding student learning opportunities, technology integration, and increasing instruction that authentically engages students every class period of every day with an emphasis on project based learning. For more information call 620-457-8350.
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Education Issues
2013-02-01 08:55:05
School safety
Q-Are my kids safe at their school?
A-Parents are asking this question across the nation. The bottom line answer is yes. According to the US Department of Education, the chances of a Newtown type event occurring are less than 1 in 2 million. The chances of any weapon violence: 1 in 14 in an urban and 1 in 56 in a rural area. The No Child Left Behind Safe-School research shows the chance of death in school is 400 times less than outside school. It also shows small schools ranked 8 times safer in terms of crime reports versus large schools. Statistics definitely show schools are the safest place for kids.
Knowing schools are the safest places seems contrary to the concern we all have. Even though school attacks have decreased over the last decade, the fact they occur is our collective concern. Schools have increased safety measures for years. Laws such as the Federal Gun Free School Zone Act and the Kansas Anti-Bullying law have required more reporting and actions to prevent violence. In addition to social and disciplinary interventions, schools have physical security protections. The measures may include locked doors, cameras, ID cards, alarms, fences or walls. Law enforcement is sometimes on campuses.
Schools face challenges as they move to enhance safety. Security measures that are being asked for by staff and the public vary widely in how much they change the school environment and how much they cost. Examples of requested protections are: Police officers in buildings, buzzer-lock access control, bullet-proof glass, reinforced rooms, metal detectors, replacing windows with hardened material, vehicle barriers, making architectural and landscaping changes, radio communications, and even arming staff.
Many requested protections could be cost prohibitive unless the federal or state government dedicates funds. If such funding doesn’t come through, tax payers may have to decide on paying for the security measures. Finally, schools may have to take away funds from already stretched budget areas to pay for them, i.e., the cost of a School Resource Officer at one building equals the cost of a classroom teacher. After the recent cuts to school funding and the possible reductions predicted in the near future, the costs for security protections will impact schools deeply.
Besides the financial impact, patrons, parents, staff, and students will be adjusting to new levels of security. Each community will determine the level of security it feels comfortable with having. Safety measures will often impact convenience. Access to buildings may be restricted to one entrance; slower entrance screening and access procedures are often used, random checks of students will likely occur, and the school will dedicate more instructional time to safety training. Maintaining a positive, comfortable and safe environment for learning that is balanced with strong safety and security procedures and physical measures will be essential.
Patrons and parents need to understand that while many aspects of school safety and security will be discussed, decided upon, and implemented in public, much will and has already been done confidentially to ensure safety is not compromised.
Interested students, parents, and patrons should contact their local districts for more information.
