MONROE: District expects ‘security’ visit

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
   MONROE — Homeland Security will pay a random, unannounced visit in the near future, Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Hamilton made told the school board at its meeting on Feb. 13.
   ”We have been advised that we will be the recipients of a visit by Homeland Security, a random, unannounced visit to see how our schools our implementing the measures of our state implemented security plans,” said Dr. Hamilton.
   During his report, Dr. Hamilton advised the board and public to expect the visit in the near future.
   ”That’s just for your information,” Dr. Hamilton said. “I don’t know when or how it will happen, but we are anticipating at least two visits this year.”
   Department of Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf and Edward Dickson, Director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, sent a memo to school administrators on Feb. 26 regarding the “unannounced” visits.
   ”As a State, we continue to work hard to prepare our school communities to respond to incidents that may put our students at risk,” said Commissioner Cerf in the memo. “We recognize the struggle to find the right balance between overly perspective safety protocols and creating a warm and positive learning environment for students.”
   According to the memo, the State will conduct a small number of unannounced school visits by staff from the Department of Education and the New Jersey of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
   The visits have two goals; provide targeted support to individual schools and, share information learned with others across the state to support their collective effort, according to the memo.
   Dr. Hamilton said he expects that Homeland Security will be working together with public schools to ensure that they are fully implementing appropriate security protocols consistent with approved security plans.
   ”I welcome the opportunity to partner with organizations that can help us do the best we can to keep our students as safe as possible,” Dr. Hamilton said. “Our security upgrades will help to facilitate communication in an emergency situation.”
   The December memo came just days after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut where a gunman killed 20 first-grade students and six adults.
   ”Although we cannot prevent all crises and acts of violence from occurring in our schools we can work toward reducing the risk and minimize the harmful effects through continued coordinated planning, preparing, training and exercising,” the memo read.
   According to a presentation given by Anthony Bland from the Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning on Jan. 16 to the NJ State Board of Education from the New Jersey Department of Education, there are a number of drills that must be conducted a minimum of two times per year – active shooter, evacuation, bomb threat and lockdown.
   Board member Louis Masters updated the panel on a buildings and grounds meeting held Feb. 6 in where he discussed the security upgrades anticipated at the schools.
   ”We are going to be revamping some of our connections from central office and through all the schools,” said Mr. Masters.
   According to Mr. Masters, it is a six-point plan for increasing the security in the district that will include some personnel being hired and additional upgrades that will be done in the district.
   Business Administrator Michael Gorski said that telephone systems would be part of the upgrades.
   ”The beauty of this recommendation is that it practically really pays for itself during the lease-purchase term in five years and after the lease-purchase term, saves the district $72,600 in reduced phone bills,” Mr. Gorski added.
   Brookside School, Mill Lake School, Woodland School, and Barclay Brook School will replace the existing telephone system, which is a “standard old fashioned telephone system.” The schools would receive new equipment and voice over internet service through Comcast and would include a PA system upgrade.
   ”Right now in these schools they are working on very antiquated equipment and it’s a hit or miss if the PA system works,”
   The cost of the equipment and connecting the fiber between Oak Tree and Applegarth Schools and Barclay at Brookside Schools is approximately $352,400 that is recommended to be financed over a five year lease purchase. The annual debt-service for lease including interest is approximately $74,000, according to Mr. Gorski.
   ”Although we believe our schools continue to be safe, we have used the tragedy in Connecticut as an opportunity to examine our schools and enhance our safeguards,” Dr. Hamilton said. “While no system is an absolute guarantee we certainly want to reduce the risk of any security breeches in our schools.”