School Officials, PTO Discuss Safety Issues
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
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"I don't think you can pick up a magazine or newspaper that doesn't have something in it about high school safety," said Warsaw Community High School Principal Paul Crousore Monday at the WCHS PTO meeting.
Crousore was part of a panel discussion on safe and secure schools. He was joined by Warsaw Police Chief and Warsaw schools safety director Steve Foster, WCHS School Resource Officer Dave Morales, and WCHS administrator Troy Akers, teacher Tom Starkweather and junior Adam Beck.
Foster began the panel discussion by telling the 25 PTO members attending that he has been working with Warsaw schools for more than a year. He deals with the security of facilities and helps with resources and training. He goes over the crisis plans for each school; what may be applicable for the high school may not be for an elementary.
The school resource officer for only about three months, Morales said he has already seen changes in the school.
"Mostly, it's good. I still have a few students who are leery as to why I'm here," he said. But, he said, there will always be someone who questions his presence. "Most of the students I've run into are real receptive."
He said he doesn't expect everything to be happy-go-lucky and "if someone wants something to happen, it will happen."
His reason for being in the school, he said, is to be preventive. His presence may help keep someone from the outside from coming in the school and causing trouble. He said he has already helped some students work out their differences.
"It's a great feeling for me. Slowly, but surely, they'll get used to me being in the building," Morales said.
The position of school resource officer is not necessarily a reaction to the Columbine tragedy, he said. The school corporation has looked at having an SRO for several years. Many other school systems have had SROs in their schools for years.
Morales then answered some questions that were e-mailed to him before the meeting.
As to what is done to keep drugs and weapons out of school, Morales said, periodic dog searches are conducted and there are random drug tests for student drivers, athletes and others. There is a hotline number to call if students or parents know of any problem. Morales said the school doesn't have metal detectors and at this time, he said, they don't feel a need to have any.
The last question asked if Warsaw was prepared to handle a Columbine-like situation. Morales said that in all honesty, such a situation is never expected and if it would happen, it would be chaos. However, he said, things can be done to ease situations. He also said the local law enforcement agencies have good rapport with surrounding law enforcement agencies.
"We do have the SWAT team come in the building when no one is present and practice situations," he said. They also practice with the schoolbuses.
Foster was asked how parents will be notified if a situation like Columbine were to happen.
Foster said parents need to keep such incidents in perspective. While 12 students and one teacher were killed in Columbine last year, there were 60 kids who died from abuse and neglect at the hands of those who loved them last year.
One of the things about a crisis plan, Crousore said, is that it isn't wise to publish a crisis plan. Foster agreed, saying that telling where children will be compromises their ability to help keep children secure.
Starkweather said, "As an educator, we are very serious about safety in the classroom. We are visible. ... We are a deterrent. We keep an eye out." He said teachers are in the halls during prep periods and are aware of the crisis handbook. Students have also been told where the emergency button is in each of the classrooms.
Akers said the number of incidents this year has become fewer because of fewer passing periods and more time for students at lunch. He said the first nine weeks this year there were fewer serious infractions than last year.
They've had three situations concerning alcohol and drugs, five cases of threat or intimidation, two situations of theft or vandalism and eight fights. Most of the incidents involved freshmen.
One parent asked why freshmen seem to have the most problems.
Crousore said the school's highest number of drop-outs is freshmen. The second highest is sophomores. Out of the graduating class of 1999, he said, they lost 88 of the students during their freshman year and 30 more as sophomores. He said the transition from middle to high school needs to be continually addressed.
"It's easier to get up and come to this building when students know there is someone here who cares about them," he said.
Beck said safety and security are not just about having an officer in the school, but about students respecting themselves. However, Morales' presence has helped, he said, because students realize they can't get away with intimidation anymore.
A parent asked Beck if student problems were about dress and if regulating clothing would help.
"Telling a child you have to wear this, it may help with the discipline but it doesn't help them respect themselves," Beck answered.
Crousore said, "Warsaw Community High School is a safe place. I feel strongly about that. Do we need to be conscious and pro-active about that? Absolutely." [[In-content Ad]]
U.S. News & World Report. Newsweek. Time. USA Today.
"I don't think you can pick up a magazine or newspaper that doesn't have something in it about high school safety," said Warsaw Community High School Principal Paul Crousore Monday at the WCHS PTO meeting.
Crousore was part of a panel discussion on safe and secure schools. He was joined by Warsaw Police Chief and Warsaw schools safety director Steve Foster, WCHS School Resource Officer Dave Morales, and WCHS administrator Troy Akers, teacher Tom Starkweather and junior Adam Beck.
Foster began the panel discussion by telling the 25 PTO members attending that he has been working with Warsaw schools for more than a year. He deals with the security of facilities and helps with resources and training. He goes over the crisis plans for each school; what may be applicable for the high school may not be for an elementary.
The school resource officer for only about three months, Morales said he has already seen changes in the school.
"Mostly, it's good. I still have a few students who are leery as to why I'm here," he said. But, he said, there will always be someone who questions his presence. "Most of the students I've run into are real receptive."
He said he doesn't expect everything to be happy-go-lucky and "if someone wants something to happen, it will happen."
His reason for being in the school, he said, is to be preventive. His presence may help keep someone from the outside from coming in the school and causing trouble. He said he has already helped some students work out their differences.
"It's a great feeling for me. Slowly, but surely, they'll get used to me being in the building," Morales said.
The position of school resource officer is not necessarily a reaction to the Columbine tragedy, he said. The school corporation has looked at having an SRO for several years. Many other school systems have had SROs in their schools for years.
Morales then answered some questions that were e-mailed to him before the meeting.
As to what is done to keep drugs and weapons out of school, Morales said, periodic dog searches are conducted and there are random drug tests for student drivers, athletes and others. There is a hotline number to call if students or parents know of any problem. Morales said the school doesn't have metal detectors and at this time, he said, they don't feel a need to have any.
The last question asked if Warsaw was prepared to handle a Columbine-like situation. Morales said that in all honesty, such a situation is never expected and if it would happen, it would be chaos. However, he said, things can be done to ease situations. He also said the local law enforcement agencies have good rapport with surrounding law enforcement agencies.
"We do have the SWAT team come in the building when no one is present and practice situations," he said. They also practice with the schoolbuses.
Foster was asked how parents will be notified if a situation like Columbine were to happen.
Foster said parents need to keep such incidents in perspective. While 12 students and one teacher were killed in Columbine last year, there were 60 kids who died from abuse and neglect at the hands of those who loved them last year.
One of the things about a crisis plan, Crousore said, is that it isn't wise to publish a crisis plan. Foster agreed, saying that telling where children will be compromises their ability to help keep children secure.
Starkweather said, "As an educator, we are very serious about safety in the classroom. We are visible. ... We are a deterrent. We keep an eye out." He said teachers are in the halls during prep periods and are aware of the crisis handbook. Students have also been told where the emergency button is in each of the classrooms.
Akers said the number of incidents this year has become fewer because of fewer passing periods and more time for students at lunch. He said the first nine weeks this year there were fewer serious infractions than last year.
They've had three situations concerning alcohol and drugs, five cases of threat or intimidation, two situations of theft or vandalism and eight fights. Most of the incidents involved freshmen.
One parent asked why freshmen seem to have the most problems.
Crousore said the school's highest number of drop-outs is freshmen. The second highest is sophomores. Out of the graduating class of 1999, he said, they lost 88 of the students during their freshman year and 30 more as sophomores. He said the transition from middle to high school needs to be continually addressed.
"It's easier to get up and come to this building when students know there is someone here who cares about them," he said.
Beck said safety and security are not just about having an officer in the school, but about students respecting themselves. However, Morales' presence has helped, he said, because students realize they can't get away with intimidation anymore.
A parent asked Beck if student problems were about dress and if regulating clothing would help.
"Telling a child you have to wear this, it may help with the discipline but it doesn't help them respect themselves," Beck answered.
Crousore said, "Warsaw Community High School is a safe place. I feel strongly about that. Do we need to be conscious and pro-active about that? Absolutely." [[In-content Ad]]