One school makes plans

CORNWALL — A first in-depth look at a plan for security at Cornwall Consolidated School (CCS) came by way of a public forum Jan. 29. About 20 people attended the meeting in the CCS gathering room.It included details of planned changes and improvements to the building and to procedures, and offered assurances of continued analysis and adjustments as may be needed. A most important aspect here is the philosophical approach. The school is truly viewed as and used as a community building. Striking a balance between keeping children safe and keeping the facility welcoming is considered worth the effort in a place that prides itself on its small-town feel and old-fashioned way of life.Timing is a concern. The only real worry that has been expressed publicly here is that security be updated quickly.State Police Sergeant Bob Janco, assigned to Troop B in North Canaan, has been consulting with schools and has taken on the role of liaison. He said some districts are waiting on anticipated state mandates for security before investing effort and money. Cornwall Principal Michael Croft reiterated his statements at last month’s school board meeting, when he said more was being done than was obvious.“We have figured out what we need and want, and started the process. Every school is different and we all are going to have to do very specific things to meet those different needs,” Croft said. Learning to respondImproving security is as much about learning to deal with a threat as it is keeping a threat out. After the Dec. 14 school shooting in Newtown, Cornwall, like many schools, sought professional consultation and a closer “working” arrangement with the fire department, State Police, town government and others. The school has a safety committee comprised of the principal, secretary, school nurse and head custodian. A camera and buzz-in system had already been installed at the main entrance two years ago, with monitors in the main office and board clerk’s office. Additional cameras and monitors are now planned.Other changes that have been made or will be soon include new interior door locks that can be activated quickly; a new main office configuration for ease of movement in coordinating an emergency response; panic buttons that will alert police and close fire doors; improved in-building communication; break-resistant film on windows; and improved first-responder access.The staff is being trained to think flexibly in any emergency, rather than trying to fit a prescribed protocol to a situation. “The shootings in Newtown affect our thinking, but the next one is not going to be like the last one,” Croft said. “The fact is, we have had only one crisis in the school in the last two years, and it was a fire.”New and tightened practices include all exterior doors locked during the day, with custodians making regular checks; identification cards for staff and visitors; and parent volunteers on campus during arrival, recess and dismissal as “eyes and ears.” High school studentsOne security concern is the high school students who have a bus route layover at CCS. Croft said that if they come into the building, it is usually to visit a former teacher, but that needs to change simply because it is academically disruptive. While members of the public and Sgt. Janco agreed there is little threat from former CCS students who want to stay connected with the school, their movements should be limited during the 20 minutes they are on campus. Non-Cornwall students, who might be heading to a friend’s house or a job, will need to have identification.Croft had met with HVRHS students a few days prior to the forum.“I told them they are welcome here, but that people are generally worried. They had not thought of themselves as a perceived threat, and we don’t want to give them the idea we are burdened with them. I gave them parameters for their after-school time here.”Daily visits from policeThe forum offered a look at how the State Police approach school security.Earlier that day, a ranking trooper had come to the school for a tour and a chance to get to know the building and staff. This has been happening all over the state. While there, they approach it as a positive experience, putting a smile on their face for the children they encounter. Patrol troopers are also stopping in at schools every day.At CCS, the reaction has been a good one, according to Croft, who has met seven troopers he had not seen before. Troopers tend to be figures the children trust, he said, and seeing them in their school does not spark any sort of fear.Cornwall resident and volunteer fireman Pat Elias questioned Janco on potential police response delays, given that road troopers cover three towns.“In an emergency, all boundaries disappear,” Janco said. “One of the reasons troopers take their cruisers home is that they are always on duty. And when they are in them, they have to monitor the radio. Just like in Newtown, off-duty troopers, resident troopers from other towns and DEEP conservation officers will respond.”DEEP is the state Department of Energy and Environmental Conservation; the agency has its own police force.Delay is a positive when it comes to reducing a threat. Janco said that in most scenarios, being able to keep a suspicious person outside as long as possible, to give police time to respond, is key.“We need to think about what we can do to create barriers, but keep the building welcoming to the community,” Janco said, stressing that, “Sandy Hook was an extremely rare situation at an elementary school. You are much more likely to have a fire or an angry parent confronting a teacher or the principal.”Dangers closer to homeThat said, Croft noted restraining orders and custody cases are reported to him by the courts, and that there is a process for parents and others to bring domestic issues to his attention.“A not-well-publicized fact is that a communication to me could be anonymous, but I can’t guarantee I wouldn’t act on it, if I felt intervention was needed.”Student mental health was already being addressed, and will continue to be closely watched, particularly through the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program and resources such as the school counselor, Housatonic Youth Service Bureau and Region One Pupil Services.Debated at the forum was how identifiable parent volunteers should be. Janco said at a school like CCS, strangers will stand out. Parents and Emergency Management Director Nevton Dunn advocated for upping the deterrence factor by making it obvious there are lots of people watching. “Those are also the people emergency responders know they can approach to help out in an emergency,” Dunn said.Parents asked about the after-school program, located in the visible and easily accessible gathering room near the main entrance to the school.Croft said that while the main concern is for securing the building during the school day, measures he cannot disclose have been implemented for after-school hours. The resident state trooper program was discussed, and Janco assured the public that such a trooper would be an additional trooper, not one taken off patrol. However, the town would pay a large percentage of costs. He suggested that residents contact their legislators and advocate for more troopers. Retired troopers are being hired in other schools, one parent noted.“I just don’t know if we’re at that place for elementary schools,” Janco said.“We have discussed the possibility,” Croft said. “We decided not to prioritize it at this point.”