School safety forum planned
Event scheduled for Dec. 17
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> Saratoga Springs City Schools will hold a Community Safety Forum from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 17 at the high school teaching auditorium.
The district website says a panel of district Emergency Response Team members will provide an overview of school safety and security policies, including time for public questions.
Also, a representative from the New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal company will discuss the recent security assessment conducted in all school buildings.
In addition, a summary of the school safety survey will be discussed, and the district will share action steps moving forward to continuously improve school safety and security.
The program will include a public comment period.
Prior to the forum, community members, including students, parents and school staff are asked to complete a public safety survey, found on the district website at www.saratogaschools.org/.
In late October, hundreds of angry residents attended a school board meeting to protest a decision, made earlier this fall, which prohibits building security personnel from carrying concealed firearms.
Students, parents and retired law enforcement officers say valuable response time would be lost waiting for police to arrive if an active-shooter incident occurred.
Protestors delivered more than 1,000 petition signatures, imploring the board to reverse a 5 to 4 vote, prohibiting the district’s 14 grounds monitors from carrying weapons.
The vote to disarm officers reversed a policy that had been in place for about 30 years, with no apparent incidents.
Board members who voted to disarm security personnel say having more guns in schools does not improve student, faculty and staff safety. But many others disagree.
At the Oct. 23 board meeting, school Superintendent Michael Patton read a brief statement, explaining the board’s recent course of action.
The Gun-Free Zone Schools Act of 1990 allows guns to be possessed by two groups of people, law enforcement officers, and others with written authorization. Previously, grounds monitors didn’t realize they needed school board permission to carry weapons, Patton said.
After researching the matter for several months and obtaining feedback from police, the district’s legal counsel, insurance carrier and school emergency response team members, the board on Oct. 9 voted to not allows weapons use by grounds monitors.
“The outcome of this vote does not imply that the board of education or district does not value and support creating a safe learning environment,” Patton said. “The district is committed to continually evaluating our [safety] and security plan.”
But this did little to satisfy upset parents who argue that most grounds monitors are retired police officers, who are highly trained and capable of protecting children.