Auburn City Schools has hired an Ohio-based safety and security organization to review the school system's safety policies and procedures.
Superintendent Karen DeLano announced at Tuesday's board meeting that she had contacted National School Safety and Security Services to assess the city schools' campuses and to make recommendations of necessary safety measures.
Daniel Chesser, public relations specialist for ACS, told The Plainsman that the company was recommended by Auburn Police Divison Assistant Chief Will Mathews.
The company will be brought in to assess and evaluate the schools’ crisis management and prevention policies.
In light of the February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that claimed the lives of 17, some Auburn parents have become more worried about their children's safety, especially at Auburn High School where the exterior is comprised of large glass panels and where classrooms also have windows.
Some have worried that the city has been idle in responding to parents' concerns, and uneasiness has grown among the community of parents as another school shooting occurred in Maryland on Tuesday morning.
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, residents once again addressed growing concerns over the glass walls in Auburn High School.
Mayor Bill Ham said the city has tried to avoid stepping on the toes of the school system in dealing with school security.
“They have these children at heart and are concerned," Ham said of ACS. "This seems to me to be a logical approach — hire professionals who do nothing but school safety, and let's assess the situation.”
Continue reading below...
The school board is hoping to have the service conducted later in the spring or during the summer, with the intention of placing more resource officers in the schools before the start of the 2018-2019 school year, Chesser said.
Auburn resident Bill Caskey spoke his concerns to the council over the glass walls in the school for the second time in recent months, following a proposal made by Ward 8 Councilman Tommy Dawson and emphasizing the need for student protection in the schools.
Dawson said he wanted to keep the issue fresh on people’s minds and asked City Manager James Buston at Tuesday’s council meeting to organize a meeting between the council and the superintendent.
In February, Dawson called for increased officer presence in Auburn schools. Dawson worked for APD for more than 26 years and spent three of those as police chief.
Caskey said he decided to attend the City Council meeting to appeal to them about the walls, instead of attending the ACS board meeting that was occurring simultaneously.
Auburn students have also gotten involved in the conversation. Students from AHS staged a walkout Tuesday morning, spending 17 minutes in the school's courtyard in remembrance of the victims of the Parkland attack.
According to the Auburn Villager, Delano said that she was in support of the walkouts and has encouraged principals to allow them, so long as the necessary precautions are taken to ensure the safety of the students.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
