Officials, parents discuss safety measures

EAST CALN » As the Downingtown Area School District officials continue to update security measures, they are seeking input from members of the public, teachers, students and others to include their voice.

Downingtown Superintendent Emilie Lonardi and Assistant Superintendent Robert Reed led a presentation Thursday on the district’s current safety measures and recent updates, such as additional security cameras, an initiative that was planned out over several years. A roundtable dis-

cussion followed with parents, teachers and others, providing input about what they believe the school district, or specific schools, are doing well and they provided suggestions on what could be done to help enhance the security. Lonardi thanked the more than 150 attendees for their input as well as their interest. She added that the safety of the students is their numberone priority.

The presentation held at the administration building to inform the public about the current practices and procedures comes after national concerns about safety in schools with headlines about school shootings. Gun violence discussions, as well as discussions on gun legislation and

common sense laws have sparked again since the Parkland, Florida school shooting in February when a 19- year- old claimed the lives of 17 students and injured others.

Reed explained some of updates regarding security in the district, with assistance from Chief Security Officer Tim Hubbard. Reed and Hubbard had presented an update of security measures during a school board meeting in March. It occurred on the same day as the National Walk- out event in which students nationwide had walked out of school to honor the 17 Parkland victims and voice their opinions and concerns about gun violence. Downingtown students were among the Chester County students to participate in that demonstration.

The Downingtown Area School District hosts a safety summit every August to discuss various safety topics with stakeholders in the district, local law enforcement, the District Attorney’s Office and

others. Law enforcement officers have participated in SWAT training and other first- responder trainings in Downingtown schools and other schools throughout the county, which provides a realistic environment.

“We are very fortunate, no the matter where you live, we have an excellent relationship with our law enforcement, whether it’s East Brandywine, Downingtown, Uwchlan, Upper Uwchlan, or a response from the state police,” Reed said. Downingtown and Uwchlan Police Departments cover 11 of the 16 Downingtown schools.

Reed noted that law enforcement officers regularly visit the schools each school day to conduct walkthroughs, in addition to the security staff at Downingtown

East High School in Uwchlan Township and the School Resource Officer ( SRO) at Downingtown West High School in Downingtown Borough. The SRO has also checked on nearby STEM Academy. The school board recently approved to add three new positions, including an armed security guard at STEM Academy, a mental health specialist and a prevention specialist.

A parent praised the Watch D. O. G. S. program hosted at Bradford Heights Elementary School and new to Uwchlan Hills, which the parent would like to see expanded to other Downingtown elementary schools. It is a national program that focuses on safety in schools and using the positive influence

of father figures. Parents also noted the consistency in the visitor check- in which requires a photo ID and runs a background check on visitors.

Additionally, during the roundtable discussion, attendees agreed that the district officials communicate well. Parents thanked the district officials for communicating with them during recent incidents, such as the online post that threatened the safety at the Downingtown West graduation ceremony. Police determined

there was no evidence to support the threat and graduation continued as planned without incident. Parents noted that they heard from the school district before they heard from their child, which they appreciated.