Warsaw School Board Debates Whether Security Sufficient
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
While he deemed it a “good start,” board member Dan Metzger said it wasn’t enough, especially for the elementary schools.
At the last two regular school board meetings, parent Steve Long asked about increasing security at Warsaw Schools. He was told discussions were being held with Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, Warsaw Police Dept. Chief Scott Whitaker and Kosciusko County Sheriff Rocky Goshert about it.
Hintz told the board Tuesday that the city and WPD provided Warsaw Schools with one school resource officer, two DARE officers and a crossing guard for a number of years so WCS did not spend any money on school security personnel. The annual cost of the SRO and DARE officers is about $253,066.
Earlier this school year, because of the city’s needs, it was going to reduce its support for one of their officers at mid 2013. Then, because of national events, Hintz said, it was determined it was best to keep the arrangement as it was.
As Hintz worked with city officials and Warsaw Community Schools’ team, they considered what was possible and best, he said. They worked up some figures, which Thallemer wanted to review further.
He said now they are looking at having one officer at Warsaw Community High School, one officer at each of the two middle schools and two DARE officers for the eight elementary schools. WCS would fund three of the officers beginning with the 2013-14 school year, Hintz said. The cost for WCS to contract with the city for three additional full-time trained law enforcement officers is about $165,000.
The recommendation does not include a trained officer at all schools. The cost for such coverage is estimated to be $550,000 per school year and the funding is not included in the 2013 school corporation budget.
Hintz said one of the keys of the issue is not whether the officers are needed to keep schools safe, but if it’s something that can be put into the corporation’s budget. The school system has obligations coming down the road, Hintz said, including the Affordable Care Act.
There is a potential for some grant funding down the road to provide for officers in schools, but that will depend on the current legislature.
Hintz reported Whitaker will have his officers make unannounced stops at every school, and that idea is supported by Goshert.
Additionally, all Warsaw schools are now fully equipped with “buzz-in” systems and video surveillance, Hintz said. All front entrances are locked after the start of the school day, and secretaries in main offices have panic buttons.
“So I think we have made some progress,” Hintz said.
Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott said there have only been two school shootings in Indiana since 2000. While he agreed WCS needed to do something, it was a tough balance between security and limited funding.
“I’m 100 percent supportive of having a couple school resource officers at the middle school level. The kids at that age are exposed to all kinds of things. I’m not happy about this. It does nothing for our kids at the elementary schools,” Metzger announced. “This is doing nothing for our elementary schools at all.”
Scott said if officers make random, unannounced visits to the schools, it will help deter anyone from doing anything. Metzger said it was a start, but asked how he could tell a parent their kid has a 50/50 chance of an officer being at the school should something occur?
Agreeing with Metzger, board member Randy Polston said he was really concerned about the kids.
“I know we’re looking at how we fund this, but we need to pursue this,” Polston said, adding that they need something set up for the elementary schools. “I hate we live in a world like this where we have to have these discussions.”
Matt Dick, board vice president, said he didn’t know that anyone had the perfect solution, but he agreed that Hintz’s recommendation wasn’t enough yet.
How much spending is enough? asked Jennifer Tandy, board president, though she agreed the recommendation wasn’t enough. Whatever the board decided, it would have to be permanent, she added.
“We’ve never came to every board meeting and laid out every security measure we have, nor should we,” Brad Hagg, chief technology officer, stated.
To get WCS through this year, Hintz said they could hire some off-duty officers. His recommendation presented Tuesday afternoon would be for the 2013-14 school year.
“My hope would be that we could continue to hire off-duty police officers at each of our schools,” said Metzger. He added that WCS needed to “aggressively” go after grants for school officers.
The board agreed to meet in executive session Monday before its regular meeting to discuss school security. Its regular meeting starts at 7 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
While he deemed it a “good start,” board member Dan Metzger said it wasn’t enough, especially for the elementary schools.
At the last two regular school board meetings, parent Steve Long asked about increasing security at Warsaw Schools. He was told discussions were being held with Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, Warsaw Police Dept. Chief Scott Whitaker and Kosciusko County Sheriff Rocky Goshert about it.
Hintz told the board Tuesday that the city and WPD provided Warsaw Schools with one school resource officer, two DARE officers and a crossing guard for a number of years so WCS did not spend any money on school security personnel. The annual cost of the SRO and DARE officers is about $253,066.
Earlier this school year, because of the city’s needs, it was going to reduce its support for one of their officers at mid 2013. Then, because of national events, Hintz said, it was determined it was best to keep the arrangement as it was.
As Hintz worked with city officials and Warsaw Community Schools’ team, they considered what was possible and best, he said. They worked up some figures, which Thallemer wanted to review further.
He said now they are looking at having one officer at Warsaw Community High School, one officer at each of the two middle schools and two DARE officers for the eight elementary schools. WCS would fund three of the officers beginning with the 2013-14 school year, Hintz said. The cost for WCS to contract with the city for three additional full-time trained law enforcement officers is about $165,000.
The recommendation does not include a trained officer at all schools. The cost for such coverage is estimated to be $550,000 per school year and the funding is not included in the 2013 school corporation budget.
Hintz said one of the keys of the issue is not whether the officers are needed to keep schools safe, but if it’s something that can be put into the corporation’s budget. The school system has obligations coming down the road, Hintz said, including the Affordable Care Act.
There is a potential for some grant funding down the road to provide for officers in schools, but that will depend on the current legislature.
Hintz reported Whitaker will have his officers make unannounced stops at every school, and that idea is supported by Goshert.
Additionally, all Warsaw schools are now fully equipped with “buzz-in” systems and video surveillance, Hintz said. All front entrances are locked after the start of the school day, and secretaries in main offices have panic buttons.
“So I think we have made some progress,” Hintz said.
Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott said there have only been two school shootings in Indiana since 2000. While he agreed WCS needed to do something, it was a tough balance between security and limited funding.
“I’m 100 percent supportive of having a couple school resource officers at the middle school level. The kids at that age are exposed to all kinds of things. I’m not happy about this. It does nothing for our kids at the elementary schools,” Metzger announced. “This is doing nothing for our elementary schools at all.”
Scott said if officers make random, unannounced visits to the schools, it will help deter anyone from doing anything. Metzger said it was a start, but asked how he could tell a parent their kid has a 50/50 chance of an officer being at the school should something occur?
Agreeing with Metzger, board member Randy Polston said he was really concerned about the kids.
“I know we’re looking at how we fund this, but we need to pursue this,” Polston said, adding that they need something set up for the elementary schools. “I hate we live in a world like this where we have to have these discussions.”
Matt Dick, board vice president, said he didn’t know that anyone had the perfect solution, but he agreed that Hintz’s recommendation wasn’t enough yet.
How much spending is enough? asked Jennifer Tandy, board president, though she agreed the recommendation wasn’t enough. Whatever the board decided, it would have to be permanent, she added.
“We’ve never came to every board meeting and laid out every security measure we have, nor should we,” Brad Hagg, chief technology officer, stated.
To get WCS through this year, Hintz said they could hire some off-duty officers. His recommendation presented Tuesday afternoon would be for the 2013-14 school year.
“My hope would be that we could continue to hire off-duty police officers at each of our schools,” said Metzger. He added that WCS needed to “aggressively” go after grants for school officers.
The board agreed to meet in executive session Monday before its regular meeting to discuss school security. Its regular meeting starts at 7 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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