St. Charles PTO members express concerns about school safety
With the murder of two St. Charles East High School students still fresh in their minds, St. Charles PTO members Wednesday peppered school board candidates with questions about how to ensure safety in school buildings.
About 25 people attended the forum, which featured five of the seven District 303 candidates. Incumbent James Gaffney and challenger Eric Missil could not attend because of conflicting responsibilities.
One question about school safety indicated at least one district resident has encountered unlocked exterior doors at district schools that may put students at risk.
All candidates said, if true, that's a problem that must be addressed as soon as possible.
Denton Morris said he's visited numerous district schools during the campaign. He's encountered a variety of security procedures in the process.
"The No. 1 priority is children's safety," he said. "The safety has to come first. All of our buildings are different, but there needs to be a way to address that so you can control access. It should be uniform across the district."
Heidi Fairgrieve said she, too encountered a different security process for entering Wild Rose Elementary than she does at the schools her children attend in the district.
"I do think it's a valid concern," she said. "One recommendation is to do audits of all our facilities. Perhaps we're not as transparent about that. Where do we have deficits? What can we do within our financial resources to remediate that."
Lara Kristofer is a mother of four children. She said hearing fears about safety from other parents surprised her.
"We definitely want to make sure everyone at our schools is using the very best procedures to keep people safe," she said.
Carolyn Waibel said any safety failings are likely a sign that communication among the schools must be improved to make sure everyone is following the same best practices across the district, particularly at the elementary school level.
Incumbent Ed McNally said he believes the schools are doing a good job keeping students safe. There are uniform policies in place. Even he, as a recognizable school board member, needs to produce a photo ID and sign a log book every time he walks into a district school, he said.
"If we are falling short somewhere it is probably an isolated incident and needs to be addressed."
Parents also expressed concerns about there being adequate preparation for threats coming from within schools, such as from another student or parent who got inside a building.
McNally said it does seem those kinds of threats may be increasing in society overall, but he hasn't seen reason for increased concern in St. Charles.
"We have school resource officers there, ready to respond," McNally said. "I think, overall, we are fairly well-prepared for that."
Waibel said she is a self-proclaimed school district critic, but she has no concerns about interior safety threats.
"Safety is something they take very seriously," she said. "I'm very proud of that they've done."
Kristofer said interior threats, to her, cover anything from a student selling drugs out of a locker to fights.
"I think each situation, depending on what it is, would warrant a different response," she said. "I trust we are utilizing our different resources and trained to handle a number of different responses."
Morris said that at Lincoln Elementary, every classroom has an emergency response book that covers a number of scenarios. The key is making sure staff members are trained in what actions those response books describe as appropriate.
Fairgrieve said she is confident good procedures are in place. That said, the district should always look to improve by researching what other schools have in place and staying current on industry standards.