Auburn City Schools received positive remarks on its safety measures after completion of two campus security assessments in the spring and early summer during the previous academic year. One of the evaluations included 30 commendations, and according to Daniel Chesser, public relations specialist for the system’s head office, the school’s review was “above and beyond” other districts around the country.
The assessments were carried out by the Department of Homeland Security and the National School Safety and Security Services, a consultant based in Ohio that was recommended by the Auburn Police Division. The consultants reviewed each school and questioned principals and teachers.
“One of the missions of Auburn City Schools is not only to have safe schools but for our students, staff and faculty to feel safe while they’re at school,” Chesser said. “[We were] looking at what was happening across the nation and not necessarily reactive to that but being proactive.”
The school system was seeking a third party to determine what was satisfactory and what needed improvement with heightened tension surrounding threats and attacks on campuses in the last several years.
Other practices prior to the inspections were information seminars for parents organized by schools regarding social media warning signs and suicide awareness prevention.
The school board considers one of its highest points to be the school resource officers it employs. At the end of May, Gov. Kay Ivey passed the Sentry Act, which outlines optional procedures to arm staff in public schools. However, Auburn City Schools did not follow the act because of the officers already staffed in the schools. Chesser said the officers act as trusting adults students can depend on and share their day with.
“They’re people that run our DARE program when our kids get to middle school,” said Chesser of the officers. “They run our football games, and they’re at all our athletic events. It’s more than just a security aspect at the front door, they’re part of the school system and they’re involved in just about every aspect with it.”
Chesser said administrators often receive the first word about potential concerns from officers rather than other faculty or parents. The daily presence of the police allows students to become more comfortable and familiar with them instead of seeing them as figures feared, he said.
Another centerpiece of the evaluations was the attention Auburn City Schools gives toward the mental health of students. An in-house social service worker trains counselors to provide wholesome guidance to kids, and through a partnership with East Alabama Mental Health Center, the system ensures care is provided for students and families.
Regarding the school shootings that have occurred across the country, Chesser said Auburn City Schools is doing what it can to make sure that doesn’t happen in Auburn.
“There were red flags that indicated that a child or student might do something dangerous, but they went ignored, and I think Auburn City Schools does a great job of identifying issues with kids whether it be in the classroom, home or community and working with those kids,” Chesser said.
The close proximity of all schools within the City of Auburn means that if something dangerous were to happen, emergency dispatch could have law enforcement on site at a campus between 90 seconds and two minutes, according to Chesser.
This estimate is additionally helped by the relative ease of access for squad cars, firetrucks and ambulances and a “working relationship,” as Chesser put it, with Auburn’s police and fire departments and Lee County Emergency Management Agency the system maintains.
A new key card system has been implemented at Auburn High School where each of its near 1,900 students has an ID badge that must be swiped to pass through doors.
The central office intends to establish a full-time safety coordinator position in lieu of a member presently employed who serves the position only part-time. Requirements of the job include holding meetings with assistant principals, hosting professional development tabletop activities for faculty and setting up and managing drills.
“Just because you do have everything made available to you doesn’t mean a tragedy couldn’t happen, but you can be proactive and be prepared to prevent things like that,” Chesser said.
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