SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ)- Shawano School Board says the time is now to act on school safety.
District Administrator Gary Cumberland says he is in favor of utilizing money that would be allocated under Governor Walker’s school safety plan, but there is no time better than the present when it comes to safety.
“We can’t wait for the state to make decisions on what they are going to do with this money. We just have to make decisions that are right.”
The issue was brought up during the last school board meeting.
One of the board members said he was asked by a constituant about what the School District is going to ensure safety, but was not sure how to answer that.
The board decided to have the District Safety Coordinator make a presentation at one of their next meetings.
Shawano Schools have made multiple school safety advancements, and money has never been an issue.
Cumberland said grant money would be great, but it needs to be used well.
“When it comes to safety, we are going to find a way to make it happen.”
Cumberland added that the district puts safety first, and tries to do what they can to set up proper procedures to preventing and reacting to threat, but it is a process that always needs to be looked at.
“If there is a person crazy enough to want to come into a school and shoot people, they will find a way no matter what we do. They will find a way to do it because they are crazy.”
He says other incidents nation wide brings up issues that they need to look at.
Staff in the district train in the ALICE method, a series of reactionary steps when a threat takes place.
The District has a Safety Coordinator and also has a district wide Safety committee that includes emergency staff and law enforcement that meets monthly.
The school board felt it would be best to have the Safety Coordinator attend one of their next meetings to discuss what the school currently has in place. Cumberland said it will also help them determine how to best utilize the money that may be soon made available by the Governor.
“But not just pay for it because it is a cool thing to have, it is going to have to be a necessity. We are going to do everything in our power to protect our students and make sure that they are safe.”
Cumberland says money is not and never should be a reason to sacrifice safety.
