MONROE - A recent rash of threats in Monroe schools could have an upside.
The district is learning where problems are in its emergency plan, and is looking at ways to make sure each student gets the attention he or she needs, Superintendent Larry Brown said.
The problem began when a threatening note was found written on a wall in a bathroom at Monroe High School March 26. School officials evacuated the student body and called in police to sweep the school. No dangerous materials were found. But within the next week, two more threats were made against student safety, prompting evacuations at both the Monroe Middle School and MHS.
One 15-year-old student has since confessed to making one of the threats, and police are investigating the other incidents, Brown said.
Overall, the district has seen good cooperation.
"Students, staff, the Monroe Police Department and parents have been great throughout this situation," Brown said.
It's been a learning process, he said. Evacuating students and communicating with parents has "opened our eyes to a few things we needed to address."
One of those things is the district's emergency plan. "The plan is not the best," as the district found out when it was put to the test over the past few weeks, Brown said. An all-day meeting is planned April 22 to rewrite the plan.
Another possibility is hiring a police liaison officer to work at the school. Brown said there are grants available to hire such an officer for three years, but the district would be required to fund that position for at least one year after grant money runs out. Grants are highly competitive, so there is no guarantee Monroe would get one. Even if it does, the district will have to discuss how the liaison officer scenario would work for Monroe, he said.
On Tuesday, Brown said the grant to hire an officer is the same one Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley discussed with city leaders last week. The district and city would have to discuss funding with the city. In most instances the cost for the officer is split evenly. He doesn't know how it would cost either the school or the city at this point, Brown said.Communications will continue to be streamlined; Director of Curriculum and Public Instruction Jennifer Thayer is responsible for working out communications with parents, media and staff. The district found that it can e-mail emergency notices to parents within about 15 minutes, and the district will push to ensure it has up-to-date e-mail addresses for each parent.
Unfortunately, there has been a lot of inappropriate information and wrong information circulating, especially in online forums, Brown said. The district will monitor these forums and correct misinformation, but it will not be getting into a debate, he said.
Beyond that, the district is looking at a rapid communication system that would call cell phones or send e-mail notifications to parents in emergencies. Brown said he has not yet met with vendors of those products.
Brown cautioned against a "knee-jerk" reaction to the problem.
"The knee-jerk reaction is we're going to throw all sorts of money at this and that's going to solve our problems - that's not reality," he said.
Cameras are one example. Cameras in the school are fine, but "cameras are about dealing with the aftermath. That's not the answer."
Instead, "it comes down to changing our culture ... so all kids feel they belong," he said. While there's no profile of the type of students behind the school threats, it's important each student get the attention he or she needs.
A good police liaison could be an important part of that, he said.
"It's not about someone there to make arrests," he said. "It's about prevention, about how many kids we can prevent from making poor choices."
The district is learning where problems are in its emergency plan, and is looking at ways to make sure each student gets the attention he or she needs, Superintendent Larry Brown said.
The problem began when a threatening note was found written on a wall in a bathroom at Monroe High School March 26. School officials evacuated the student body and called in police to sweep the school. No dangerous materials were found. But within the next week, two more threats were made against student safety, prompting evacuations at both the Monroe Middle School and MHS.
One 15-year-old student has since confessed to making one of the threats, and police are investigating the other incidents, Brown said.
Overall, the district has seen good cooperation.
"Students, staff, the Monroe Police Department and parents have been great throughout this situation," Brown said.
It's been a learning process, he said. Evacuating students and communicating with parents has "opened our eyes to a few things we needed to address."
One of those things is the district's emergency plan. "The plan is not the best," as the district found out when it was put to the test over the past few weeks, Brown said. An all-day meeting is planned April 22 to rewrite the plan.
Another possibility is hiring a police liaison officer to work at the school. Brown said there are grants available to hire such an officer for three years, but the district would be required to fund that position for at least one year after grant money runs out. Grants are highly competitive, so there is no guarantee Monroe would get one. Even if it does, the district will have to discuss how the liaison officer scenario would work for Monroe, he said.
On Tuesday, Brown said the grant to hire an officer is the same one Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley discussed with city leaders last week. The district and city would have to discuss funding with the city. In most instances the cost for the officer is split evenly. He doesn't know how it would cost either the school or the city at this point, Brown said.Communications will continue to be streamlined; Director of Curriculum and Public Instruction Jennifer Thayer is responsible for working out communications with parents, media and staff. The district found that it can e-mail emergency notices to parents within about 15 minutes, and the district will push to ensure it has up-to-date e-mail addresses for each parent.
Unfortunately, there has been a lot of inappropriate information and wrong information circulating, especially in online forums, Brown said. The district will monitor these forums and correct misinformation, but it will not be getting into a debate, he said.
Beyond that, the district is looking at a rapid communication system that would call cell phones or send e-mail notifications to parents in emergencies. Brown said he has not yet met with vendors of those products.
Brown cautioned against a "knee-jerk" reaction to the problem.
"The knee-jerk reaction is we're going to throw all sorts of money at this and that's going to solve our problems - that's not reality," he said.
Cameras are one example. Cameras in the school are fine, but "cameras are about dealing with the aftermath. That's not the answer."
Instead, "it comes down to changing our culture ... so all kids feel they belong," he said. While there's no profile of the type of students behind the school threats, it's important each student get the attention he or she needs.
A good police liaison could be an important part of that, he said.
"It's not about someone there to make arrests," he said. "It's about prevention, about how many kids we can prevent from making poor choices."