Trigg County’s Board of Education members continued their deep discussion on school safety and vaping concerns Thursday night, unanimously approving Chief Finance Officer Holly Greene to apply for a School Violence Prevention Program grant through the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Service.
If awarded, as it’s not guaranteed, the district could make one of three decisions in the next 36 months:
1) Immediately spend up to $500,000, or less, with a 25% match on weapons detection systems or other qualifying devices;
2) Continue to do more research, and allow for better technology to possibly arrive;
Or 3) do nothing, and keep the campus and its action plans as is.
Superintendent Bill Thorpe said he and other board associates made a recent trip to Christian County High School to view their equipment and processes, and he reiterated the plan for Trigg County — if implemented — would be to create up to five access points between the high school and other parts of the campus, while building wrought iron gating to close up loose areas.
The pros? All parties agree the checkpoints, paired with vestibules and a gate, would bring an even stronger sense of safety and ease to the school community. Most systems are sensitive enough to catch vape cartridges and e-cigarettes — a major, major problem in the district — but can be more finely tuned to scan for long-barreled guns, bombs and long-bladed knives.
All parties also agree that the measures, again, if chosen, could thwart a perpetrator and save lives.
The negatives? Board member Charlene Sheehan said Christian County’s setup requires at least three people per station, and well trained at that, each morning, meaning Trigg County High School would need to at least nine. Two other points somewhere on the grounds would bring that total to 15.
Christian County is a Class 5A school with a matching personnel. Trigg County is a smaller Class 3A school, and thus a smaller staff.
She also noted it created a lengthy, imperfect process — where human error and long delays could be problematic not only for potential behavior issues and impatient visitors, but also kids still getting away with contraband hidden in hairstyles, backpacks and other materials.
Board Attorney Jack Lackey assured Sheehan that liability wouldn’t be as big of an issue if the school installed these mobile gateways, but did note that backups could not be allowed at doorways — lest someone from the outside chose to take advantage.
Sheehan also noted that several other current protocols — including pick-up, drop-off, student drivers, bus lineup and more — would have to be revisited and potentially changed, in order to align with a new safety layout.
Board member Gayle Rufli, alongside Sheehan, said an “If You See It, Say It” campaign could also go a long way to increasing student safety.
Teachers Kyle Bleidt and Andrea Hampton shared their thoughts.
The district will learn of its acceptance or rejection later this summer.
In other school news:
— Board members went into executive session for two reasons, but took no actions thereafter.
1) For the discussions of a possible land acquisition;
And 2) for discussions surrounding the hiring of an employee.
Lackey indicated the second was related to the position of superintendent, and the potential processes required as the district moves ahead after Thorpe.
