THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 9, 1995 TAG: 9512080031
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: By ROY D. NICHOLS JR.
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
At the September Norfolk School Board meeting, two security audit reports designed to measure the effectiveness of safety and security measures employed in Norfolk public schools were discussed.
School Board members have placed student safety and security at or near the top of their agenda for several years. Last January, Norfolk public schools received a grant through the Federal Safe Schools Act. The audit reports were part of the grant award and were welcomed as an opportunity to further improve our efforts in this area.
Audits are not definite evaluations of programs or organizations. They are intended to produce suggestions for improvement. Very rarely do they focus on successes or positive aspects of programs or organizations.
Norfolk public schools found the results of the audit helpful; however, the findings contained some inaccuracies and, unfortunately, created some misperceptions. The negative publicity which followed was unwarranted and exacerbated the public's negative feelings regarding school safety.
The audit suggested that our computer-tracked School Management and Resource Team (SMART) data should include all criminal activity at a school site. Since SMART is designed to improve student discipline and behavior, data is kept in student-related incidents only. To include crimes committed by anyone other than students would provide confusing statistics. For example, if an adult broke into a school and stole a computer, entering that information into a student-discipline data base would be irrelevant and misleading. We will continue to report all criminal activity to the Norfolk Police Department and the commonwealth's attorney's office as we have in the past. We will continue to enter only student discipline data into the SMART system.
The audits suggested that our security officers needed much more training. Norfolk public schools has an ongoing, rigorous program of training specific to our needs. It is planned and conducted by a former FBI agent.
Some police officers were said to feel alienated from schools and that some school officials are in a ``major denial mode'' regarding safety issues. I believe that the key operative word in this sentence is ``some.'' Earlier this year, Chief of Police Melvin High praised the level of cooperation between our two agencies. Incidents of weapons and violence in Norfolk public schools have dropped dramatically over the past several years. Police Chief High stated that the ``regular contact and professional interaction'' between the schools and the Police Department were major contributing factors in this improvement.
The audit reports called for a centralized system of security with a director having full supervision of school security officers and the director reporting to the deputy superintendent or the superintendent. Centralization is the opposite direction in which schools should be moving. I will never recommend to our School Board that school security officers report to anyone other than the principal, who is the person accountable for all activity in a school. The principal is responsible for every aspect of the learning environment, including school climate and safety.
One of the more perplexing audit suggestions was that we eliminate use of metal detectors at schools. The use of such measures has contributed significantly to our success in reducing the incidence of weapons in school and at school functions. While across the nation youth violence and handgun usage continue to increase each year, Norfolk public schools' safety efforts speak for themselves. Several years ago, the number of guns that ended up in our schools yearly was in the mid-20s. Last year, there were three. Random searches with metal detectors are working and will remain in place.
Again, the audit reports were helpful. We need to make sure that security officers perform security-related duties only. We will continue to evaluate and implement a ``lights out'' evening-lighting policy on a school-by-school basis. We will continue to vigilantly monitor gang activity and eliminate graffiti immediately. We will continue employee identification cards and classroom panic buttons and other two-way communication capabilities, restricted door access and the like.
Maintaining a proper school environment and ensuring student and staff safety is a never-ending and constantly changing endeavor. Those of us in Norfolk public schools are doing everything we can to ensure that our schools are safe and secure. The public needs to know that our schools are safe and orderly places where teaching and learning take place each day. Parents and the public are welcome to visit our schools and view firsthand the facts regarding school safety and security. MEMO: Mr. Nichols is superintendent of Norfolk public schools. by CNB