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Allen ISD to undergo security review: Process could take place mostly behind closed doors
By Andrew Snyder, asnyder@starlocalnews.com
In the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting, security remains a focus for area school districts.
Allen ISD added an additional security measure to its elementary schools in January when it activated the magnetic locks on all of their front doors, and the district proposed a review of its overall security measures during Tuesday's school board meeting.
“Our interest, of course, is doing our best to make our schools as safe as we can make them, but also keep them as much still being schools as they can be,” said Ken Helvey, Allen ISD superintendent. “Those two things we're trying to balance.”
During the review, the school district will create a task force that will review its safety audit and its security procedures at each campus. The district will also review its school resource officer program, which has eight officers, and consider creating a new administrative position for a safety and security supervisor.
The makeup of that committee was a subject of discussion among school board members during Tuesday's meeting. The document outlining the review process presented to them listed community members, parents, security experts, principals and district administrators, and emergency management personnel as potential task force members.
“I think we would limit the parent participation to the district and campus procedures,” said Maroba Zoeller, assistant superintendent of administrative services. “The other [areas] are really going to require experts to do almost that audit process, to look at the safety and security and see those things that maybe we don't want everyone to know all the details about.”
How much of the process would take place behind closed doors was also discussed. Presentation of a plan to improve security is tentatively scheduled for June 24, and Gary Stocker, board president, said that was something the school board could do in closed session, as well as some of the updates leading to the final plan.
“When it comes down to the details on the prevention methods that we're going to implement and responses and things like that, that's definitely going to be a lot more closed group of people who are making those decisions,” Stocker said. “But getting the community input on prevention and response may be acceptable and may be not. I think it's good to at least hear what our citizens think and want and everything, and then we will come in together and make those ultimate decisions and listen to the security experts and the risk experts.”
Board member Lois Lindsey was an advocate for community involvement.
“But I do feel it's very important that no matter who you have, which expert, he also hears from our parents and from those people, so that he gets the feel of what our community wants,” she said. “Then he can give us his expertise. Sometimes if you're in something all the time and you're an expert in it, you don't always think like the way parents do about their children.”
Neighboring school districts have already put in place or proposed ways to increase their security. McKinney ISD added school resource officers to its five middle schools last month, and Plano ISD is considering putting armed security guards at all of its campuses.
Allen ISD added an additional security measure to its elementary schools in January when it activated the magnetic locks on all of their front doors, and the district proposed a review of its overall security measures during Tuesday's school board meeting.
“Our interest, of course, is doing our best to make our schools as safe as we can make them, but also keep them as much still being schools as they can be,” said Ken Helvey, Allen ISD superintendent. “Those two things we're trying to balance.”
During the review, the school district will create a task force that will review its safety audit and its security procedures at each campus. The district will also review its school resource officer program, which has eight officers, and consider creating a new administrative position for a safety and security supervisor.
The makeup of that committee was a subject of discussion among school board members during Tuesday's meeting. The document outlining the review process presented to them listed community members, parents, security experts, principals and district administrators, and emergency management personnel as potential task force members.
“I think we would limit the parent participation to the district and campus procedures,” said Maroba Zoeller, assistant superintendent of administrative services. “The other [areas] are really going to require experts to do almost that audit process, to look at the safety and security and see those things that maybe we don't want everyone to know all the details about.”
How much of the process would take place behind closed doors was also discussed. Presentation of a plan to improve security is tentatively scheduled for June 24, and Gary Stocker, board president, said that was something the school board could do in closed session, as well as some of the updates leading to the final plan.
“When it comes down to the details on the prevention methods that we're going to implement and responses and things like that, that's definitely going to be a lot more closed group of people who are making those decisions,” Stocker said. “But getting the community input on prevention and response may be acceptable and may be not. I think it's good to at least hear what our citizens think and want and everything, and then we will come in together and make those ultimate decisions and listen to the security experts and the risk experts.”
Board member Lois Lindsey was an advocate for community involvement.
“But I do feel it's very important that no matter who you have, which expert, he also hears from our parents and from those people, so that he gets the feel of what our community wants,” she said. “Then he can give us his expertise. Sometimes if you're in something all the time and you're an expert in it, you don't always think like the way parents do about their children.”
Neighboring school districts have already put in place or proposed ways to increase their security. McKinney ISD added school resource officers to its five middle schools last month, and Plano ISD is considering putting armed security guards at all of its campuses.
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