Centennial Adding Security Guards At Schools

WARMINSTER, PA —The Centennial School District is adding security guards and creating a Supervisor of Safety and Security position to bolster safety and security, the schools superintendent said.

Schools Superintendent Dana Bedden said that the district is planning on adding five security guards in the next few weeks and also has narrowed its list to three candidates who will undergo a second round of interviews shortly.

The Supervisor of Safety and Security will be credentialed as a school police officer and would oversee security across the district, Bedden said.

"With the recent shooting that occurred at the (Nashville) private school, we provided an update to our community regarding our efforts and proposal to improve school safety in Centennial," Schools Superintendent Bedden told Patch.

The district does not have a school police officer, school resource officer, or school security guards at its schools, Bedden said.

The superintendent said currently that safety and security are managed in a "decentralized Model" with security monitors reporting to the assigned school principal.

He said the monitors have limited “security training” and tend to operate more in a receptionist capacity, coordinating visitor access to the district's elementary and middle school buildings.

At William Tennent High School, monitors work the front entrance, are present in the cafeteria during lunch, and conduct internal and external security sweeps and bathroom checks, Bedden said.

The administration and school board have been working since the start of the school year on developing and approving new job descriptions for School Police Officer, School Security Guard, and revised Secondary Security Monitor and Elementary Security Monitors.

Bedden said the district has also developed staffing plans to transition from a decentralized model to a centralized model.

"In June 2022, while continuing our work to improve our academic program, we also began a concerted effort to make improvements related to our safety and security," Bedden said. "Given the recent tragic events, we are providing the following reminder of the work being done in the district, and to clear up any confusion and misinformation around Centennial’s safety and security plan."

The Supervisor of Safety and Security would:

• Serve as the Act 44 Safety and Security Coordinator for the district.
• Supervise school security personnel including managing, training, compliance, and staffing.
• Manage 3rd party safety and security contracts.
• Manage fire and security planning (planning, drills, etc.).
• Coordinate training (staff, teachers, and substitutes).
• Build relationships with local police and first responders.
• Monitor along with school administrators' Safe2Say and Gaggle activity.
• Maintain up-to-date security equipment and plans across the district.
• Oversight of safety and security for school day and extracurricular activities.

Other Safety and Security Measures

• CSD has completed Safety and Security facilities assessment in collaboration with the Pennsylvania State Police.
• CSD applied for and was awarded a $362,000 grant from Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) for safety, security improvements, and mental health support.
• District administrators have met with security monitors to assess their interest in transitioning to the new school security guard positions.
• Human Resources has identified and extended offers to two new school security guards (anticipated start date April 10).
• The district has partnered with Cardinal Point Security Group to provide three additional security guards (with an anticipated start date of April 11).
• The new proposed safety and security staffing plan for security guards adds five additional positions to the current staffing model.
• Administrators have conducted first-round interviews for the anticipated position of Supervisor of Safety and Security (with the same credentials as a police officer, pending school board approval, and have advanced three candidates to a second round of interviews.

Cyber Security

• The district is working to address cyber security threats by reconfiguring the technology team to provide maximum focus in this area.
• CSD is currently reviewing proposals to conduct a threat assessment on our network.