Security Study Calls for Upgrading K-L Schools

A security firm has released findings from its audit of the Katonah-Lewisboro school district and has several upgrade recommendations for its buildings and procedures.

The report, presented at the May 23 school board meeting by Altaris Consulting Group, includes a range of suggestions. Large capital changes in the mix include construction of a vestibule at John Jay Middle School to shelter visitors, along with cafeteria partitions for Increase Miller and Meadow Pond elementary schools.

“There's an area of opportunity and if you did have a situation where you needed to lock down your cafeteria you'd be unable to effectively do so because of the fact there are no walls or partitions here that you could lock,” said John LaPlaca, a managing partner at Altaris.

The firm's findings include a series of recommendations to make sorting out authorized and unauthorized people for the schools. This includes designating all non-staff as visitors, having single entry points at schools with staffers to greet them, and driver's license swiping, the later of which could run the information through databases for people convicted of crimes or sexual offenses. Once cleared, visitors would get tags; guests and staff members alike would be discouraged from not having visible identification.

“People who don't have identification should be challenged,” LaPlaca said, explaining that a system could be set up where people authorized to be in buildings can be accounted for in emergencies.

Controlling entrances and exits would include adding intruder-style locks to classrooms, which can be locked from the inside, and using proximity readers for doors that receive a lot of pedestrian traffic.

There are also several transportation recommendations, including fencing for John Jay High School buses, separate drop-off lanes for buses and vehicles, and designated parking for authorized people. The study also recommends upgrading the existing security camera system, although LaPlaca cautioned about relying on cameras as a preventative tool, noting the difficulty in monitoring a large number of them.

Altaris is also conducting training with various district employees, LaPlaca told the school board.

The use of Altaris and its findings come months after the deadly school shooting in Newtown, CT. Altaris is also doing a security audit next door in the Bedford Central School District. LaPlaca noted that the majority of the findings were not going to be presented publicly because they involve sensitive information, although the school board received a more detailed briefing in a closed executive session. A more detailed report will be available in the coming weeks, LaPlaca said.

For board members, the findings present a challenge for how the district should adapt.

Board member Marjorie Schiff asked about prioritization of the recommendations. LaPlaca replied that his company works with districts to determine priority and in what can be implemented right away.

“We're trying to get the district safer not only every year but literally every day, so we should be making progress on that as we go forward,” he said.

Board President Mark Lipton asked about the role of price tags in prioritization. LaPlaca responded that the district can get price quotes from vendors, adding that Altaris will work with companies that the district chooses to bring on board.

Board member Janet Harckham was skeptical about the technological aspect, noting a lot of the upgrades are related to technology, that the district has an upcoming technology plan, and that “the WiFi issue and the proximity readers are a joke in our topography.”

Harckham added that she did not know where there would be a conflict with the upcoming technology plan and noted that there has to be a discussion about cost.

Fellow board trustee Peter Treyz asked whether students could be identified to see if they're inside buildings. LaPlaca replied that it is feasible, noting that there are districts that have required students to carry ID that serve as proximity cards.

Board member Stephanie Tobin expressed concern about changing district culture, posing questions about what will people in the district protect themselves against, what is the probability of a threat and what is being given up for protection.

Superintendent Paul Kreutzer noted that there will be a safety summit on May 31, which will involve Altaris, students and parents. He said that he hopes to leave the summit with a priority list that lines up to what has been budgeted for security. For the 2013-14 school budget, there is about $200,000 for spending excluding funding for a school resource officer, the later of which will cost about $80,000. Kreutzer said that some of the funding needs to be committed for the fall.
Kreutzer also believes that cultural impact needs to be addressed.

“There's no doubt about it,” he said. Lipton, meanwhile, suggested getting community groups involved for the cultural aspect, such as the PTA.

LaPlaca's full presentation and reaction from board members can be seen here on video hosted on the district's website.