Security Announcement Coming for Perry Hall Schools

Perry Hall parents said they were not confident in the safety of their schools, specifically around trailers, in a meeting this week about the future of Baltimore County Public Schools.

“When I got on board, unfortunately, I had a situation that we had to deal with as a community,” Superintendent S. Dallas Dance, Ph.D., said, referring to the shooting of a Perry Hall High School student on the first day of school in August 2012.

“We dealt with it. We created the Office of Safety and Security,” said Dance, whose first day of school as superintendent in Baltimore County coincided with the shooting.

The school system is currently assessing its facilities as a whole, Dance said, which involves a safety analysis.

“I’ve also worked with Chief [Jim] Johnson of Baltimore County police to do individual security assessments on large high schools—Perry Hall being one of them,” Dance added. Perry Hall High School has 2,127 students; its capacity is 2,100, according to Baltimore County Public Schools.

Dance assured families during the meeting in Perry Hall Wednesday, where residents repeatedly expressed concern about overcrowding and safety, that they would soon be hearing about additional measures to improve security.

Baltimore County government announced Friday that Dance will join Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and Police Chief Jim Johnson for a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 14, to discuss measures to fast-track security equipment installation at all county schools.

The security measures were rolled out at a March press conference where officials reported the county had put three security cameras at all elementary schools to increase safety. The meeting regarding next steps for security will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at West Towson Elementary School.

According to Baltimore County government, officials will propose a two-year supplemental budget appropriation and capital funding request for networked security cameras and card-reader entry systems in all county schools.

Said Dance to parents in Perry Hall: “If we don’t address student safety, nothing else matters in our schools.”

Photo Credit: Baltimore County Government/Flickr. Superintendent Dallas Dance and County Executive Kevin Kamenetz at a March press conference announcing elementary school security measures.

Related:

• Perry Hall High School Receives Federal Grant After Shooting
• Baltimore County Ramps Up Security at Elementary Schools
• Perry Hall Shooter Sentenced to 35 Years
• Superintendent Experienced Shooting at Student
• Kamenetz, Dance Announce Nearly $3.8M For School Security
• Overcrowding, Security Top School Concerns in Perry Hall