Pottsville Area school board approved a new "building security" plan Wednesday, making final preparations to allow an armed security force to patrol the district's schools.
District Superintendent Jeffrey S. Zwiebel said the new force could start work next week.
"Hopefully it will be in the next week. We'll notify parents the night before it starts. They'll be notified by our instant messaging systems," Zwiebel said.
After the shooting of 20 elementary school children and six faculty at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on Dec. 14, 2012, Pottsville Area school administrators began considering the possibility of hiring an armed security force, Zwiebel said Wednesday.
"It's not the world that we lived in 10 years ago. It's a scary world out there. Look at the naval yard," Board Member Scott R. Thomas said, referring to the shooting which occurred in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
"It's an added layer of security," Zwiebel said.
"I think it's great. It will keep our children and faculty safe. It sends a message. When they see this added security, I think it will help with behavior all in all," Thomas said.
"They're not there for discipline," Solicitor Richard A. Thornburg said to Thomas.
"No. But it's a presence that will be in the school district. The kids know that they're the officers of the law that they would see driving around in the evening or anytime really. That sends a message that they don't want to act up in school," Thomas said.
According to Tim Eller, press secretary for the state Department of Education, Harrisburg, two school districts in Schuylkill County have similar policies, North Schuylkill and Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29.
"This is a decision that is made by each school district. The officials in these districts have determined that this is in the best interest of protecting the students in their schools. As of the 2012-13 school year, there were two local education agencies in Schuylkill County that had one or more school police officers, school safety officers and/or school resource officers who were authorized to carry a weapon," Eller said Sept. 12.
As of the 2012-13 school year, there were 147 local education agencies statewide that had one or more school police officers or school safety officers who were authorized to carry a weapon, Eller said.
In August, Blue Mountain School District gave its director of facilities and assistant director of facilities the right to carry firearms and wear badges and clothing identifying them as security.
In the past few months, Pottsville Area School District has been taking steps to establish its armed security force.
Building Security Plan
In a unanimous vote at Wednesday's meeting, the board approved a new "building security plan," with the following rules:
- Conditions of employment. Security officers hired must be at least 21 years of age, have Act 120 Certification or be a retired police officer and have Act 235 Certification. Security officers will be independent contractors, not district employees.
- Shifts will be in conjunction with the normal school day as per the approved school calendar.
- Uniforms will included khaki pants and a "school-issued top."
- Communication will include radios and ear pieces, which will allow the officers to communicate with school administrators.
"We'll supply the radios. They're district radios," Zwiebel said.
"We have extra radios. We're not going to purchase them. That's not going to be an additional cost," Thomas said.
Also under communication, the policy includes the following, according to Thomas, in case officers assigned have to change their schedules and the school is "short" an officer:
"If short, an officer will be brought in from the approved security personnel list. If this occurs, you will be notified by the security liaison and you (the officers) will report to the high school alternative education classroom for further guidance."
Use of Force
On Sept. 11, the school board held the second and final reading of a "Use of Force" policy, according to Thornburg and the minutes of the Aug. 21 meeting which the board approved Wednesday.
On Aug. 21, the board held the first reading of policy, according to the minutes from that meeting.
At the end of the Aug. 21 meeting, it appeared the first reading hadn't taken place. The Republican-Herald reported that it hadn't.
"It's an incomplete policy on what levels of force we can use in security and discipline situations," Thornburg said after the Aug. 21 meeting, according to the Aug. 22 edition of the newspaper.
When reminded of that Wednesday night, Thornburg couldn't recall exactly what he said after the Aug. 21 meeting.
"I believe you asked me if it was in final form and I said 'no,' " Thornburg said Wednesday night.
According to the Aug. 21 meeting minutes: "Atty. Thornburg reviewed the use of force policy statement with the board members and suggested that it be revised to reflect school security and not school police. The board members agreed and Atty. Thornburg stated it would be changed and on the agenda for the September meeting."
According to Pottsville Area School District "Policy 003. Functions, Section 1, Legislative" the board is required to have a first and second reading of new policies.
"Keep in mind the first reading doesn't have be announced officially as a first reading. At the first reading you put a policy in front of the board to determine if any changes or corrections should be made before the second reading, where it's made final. Following that August meeting, a correction had to be made changing 'school police' to 'school security officer,'" Thornburg said Wednesday.
On Sept. 11, the board voted unanimously to adopt the "Use of Force" policy. And Thornburg gave a copy of it to The Republican-Herald.
Thornburg said Wednesday he's going to recommend the school board post it on the district's website.
A copy of it is available for the public to view at the Howard S. Fernsler Academic Center.
Security officers
On Aug. 21, the board took action to set the salary rate for the part-time security officers at $18 per hour.
On Sept. 11, the board unanimously hired 14 of them, but refused to release their names, even though the Pennsylvania Sunshine Law makes names, job titles and employment-related contracts public record.
On Sept. 12, The Republican-Herald submitted a Right-to-Know request to Thornburg and he released the list.
At the meeting Wednesday night, the school board hired a 15th security officer, Gino Yourey, a full-time police officer for the City of Pottsville.
On Wednesday, the board included the officer's name in the agenda.
Also a Wednesday's meeting, the board hired Gary Keener, its supervisor of In-School-Suspension, as the designated "Security Liaison."
"He'll communicate with the officers that we've approved," Zwiebel said.
Keener was given additional salary for the job, according to Stephen C. Curran, district business manager.
Curran believed Keener's salary was raised "by $5,000," but did not have an exact figure after Wednesday night's meeting.
The board made that salary adjustment in August, Curran said.
According to the Aug. 21 meeting minutes: "the board approved the assignment of additional duties and salary adjustment for Gary Keener, ISS, to $21,000 effective Aug. 26."
However, the minutes do not say what the "additional duties" were. And aside from Zwiebel's short description, no job description was approved at Wednesday's meeting.
"He'll just acts as the liaison. They'll call him to set their schedules and things like that," Zwiebel said.