SAFETY UPDATE
March 17, 2000 Threat
Building Security

"Police accuse SR teen of bomb threat"
So read the headline in the March 17, 2000 Eagle.  According to the paper, around 4:00 pm on March 14, police allege that a 16 year old student threatened to detonate a bomb at the high school during school hours. Searches were done at the school, and no bombs or bomb-making materials were found. Criminal charges against the boy are pending.  Calls to Superintendent Reggie Bonfield were not returned.

At last night's Board meeting at Moraine Elementary School, citizen Katherine Gardiner asked about the latest bomb threat, and asked why parents had not been told about it. An interesting, though convoluted, discussion followed.

Dr. Bonfield stated, "I don't know what the police are referring to in that article."  (Gee, that instills confidence).  He continued, "I know of no bomb threat that was called in to the school about a bomb going to go off on the 14th."  When Gardiner explained that neither she nor the paper said anything about a threat being called in, Dr. Bonfield assured her that "When we have any credible information we can give to parents, we will do that..."

Hm... I guess the reporting was all wrong.  I guess a police investigation with pending criminal charges isn't credible.  And if the building was searched, I guess they weren't really looking for a bomb.  Safety first.

When parents were notified about the earlier e-mail bomb threat for Thursday, March 8, 60-70% of the students were absent from school.  Bonfield said this was because of the District's good communication with parents.  Now let's see. Good communication with parents.  How many children were absent because of the latest threat?   How many parents knew of the latest threat?  Apparently Gardiner left messages at the District office on Friday and Monday and her calls were not returned, even though people were in the office.  Gardiner summed it up well.  "If a police report has been filed, and this type of situation exists, parents should be notified."  Exactly.

BUILDING SECURITY

  Last May some of you might remember that several visitors to the Unofficial Slippery Rock School District HomePage, and myself,  had serious concerns with security and safety issues at the Area Elementary School.

   I received several e-mails that expressed concern that the pickup procedures in the parking lot at the Area Elem. were in need of change because of unsafe conditions. Specifically, parents and children were moving in and out of traffic and we were worried that someone might be hit by a moving car.

   Several parents, including myself, mentioned this to the "powers that be", but little was done.

   On May 3rd, I video taped the unsafe conditions in the parking lot and met with Ms. Wagner and Dr. Bonfield to discuss the community's concerns.

   Back in May I reported on these pages that I considered this meeting to be very productive and felt that it brought about some positive changes to the parking lot situation, as well as the sign in procedures in the building.

   Well, it's now a new school year and I'm happy to report that conditions in the parking lot continue to be much improved and, in my opinion, a safe environment for both parents (and their cars) and our children.

   I believe that a combination of things have resulted in the improved conditions.

   Just this last Friday, I discussed these issues with Ms. Wagner, and we concluded that both awareness on the part of the parents, as well as additional staff in the parking lot, has contributed to the safer conditions.  The new "rules" are even addressed in this year's Student Handbook.

   I would like to thank Ms. Wagner and Dr. Bonfield for meeting with me last May and I appreciate their willingness to take our safety concerns seriously and implement positive changes in a timely manner.

   Their concern and professional response to this issue has contributed to a safer environment for all our children.

I would also like to give special thanks to  Ms. Bullock for the outstanding job she has done in keeping all us parents in line.  :)


   Why don't we have an adequate and safe parking lot?

   Good question.

   During my meeting with the principal and superintendent on May 6th, I explained the history behind how the parking lots came to be, and urged them to try and affect a change. The story went like this.


  Before construction even began on the Area Elem. building, several parents expressed concern to our board that the parking at this building needed careful consideration because there had always been a "parking problem".

At that time we were told that it was being considered and that our concerns were being taken seriously.

When construction started, parents who took their children to school had to park at the Park and  walk their children to the the building.  We even had to walk from the park to check our children out early or to vist the school for any reason.  This was a big mess.  Some parents chose to park on the highway. Some children were hurt crossing the ditches to get to the school ect.  What did our district do to make our school safer and more community friendly? Well, the first days of school in 1996, they posted a uniformed guard at the driveway to the school to stop parents from entering.

Why wasn't there any plan before construction to accommodate parents who didn't bus their childeren to school?  Why didn't they consider parking at the school for anyone other then the staff?   Seems to me that at the very beginning of the year, lots of teachers actually had to rent parking spaces across from the school.



Once again parents went to the board and told them that they still had concerns that the new parking lot was not going to be adequate.  They pleaded with them to reconsider the design.  Board member Roberts ( in charge of the construction) dismissed our concerns a second time stating that everything would be fine- just wait and see.

Why were our concerns dismissed? Again?

Pride? Once construction on the parking lot began,  nothing could be done without spending more money. And you know how our board is...  That's the last thing they would do. Jim Roberts assured  the public that parking would be fine and there was nothing to worry about.

Well, the lot was finished and soon thereafter the problems started.  The back parking lot was designed for a limited amount of parking, not as an area to drop off and pick up  children. People were parking and people were leaving during these times and children often darted  through traffic. 

The parents and board hoped that Roberts was right.  Unfortunately, he wasn't. But no one was going to admit it. It was also at this time that we learned that the library was sinking, the gym was  too long, and the gym bleachers were too big.

What's to be done?

Well, as long as we have an inadequate parking area for school events and a troublesome area for dropping off and picking up our children, I will pressure this as a district/board issue.

The parking lot is much safer this year (Thank you Ms. Wagner and staff), but it is still a poor design - changes should be made.

Now that we have new faces on the board, maybe they will put politics behind them and work together, with the community, to find a solution. Several months ago, Brad Smith suggested a community forum on school safety.  This would be a good opportunity for parents to express their opinions about the parking/drop off/pick up areas at the various buildings.  Parents should note that at Har-Mer, Bill Adams' "metal building plan, according to the architect, doesn't include any updates to the parking lot.

I'm hopeful, but in the past, the messenger sometimes gets blamed for the messenge. The board has not always respected citizens' opinions, but this shouldn't silence the community.  School safety is an issue for everyone, and it shouldn''t be ignored in planning for the district's future. 






   

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