School Board Wrestles with Elementary School Playground Safety
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
School Board Wrestles with Elementary School Playground Safety
MT 43 News Staff Reporter
After a lengthy discussion, school board members voted 3 to 2 to move forward with implementing more safety plans for the Elementary School playground. The motion passed on the condition of a grant funding award. Grants come up for application in the spring.
The Nov. 13 meeting began with discussions about the approved plan to upgrade the existing 4-foot fence with a 6-foot fence. Many other safety issues surfaced as people voiced their concerns.
Board member Chase Ragen had proposed adding large brick barriers in front of the existing fence as an alternative to a solid brick wall which the board had discussed.
The flower containers would act as a second layer of protection from car accidents but still give an “open space” feel to the playground. A brick wall would close the space much like a compound area.
Board members heard about other safety issues:
Parent Teachers’ Association President Emily Christensen found that no key fobs on some entry doors to the school posed a problem. Students and staff cannot quickly and safely reenter the school because the doors are locked. Doors without fobs are locked from the inside.
Another issue pointed out by a school playground volunteer is when little kids are released to people to go home, there is no list to say who is approved to pick up children.
Sheriff Nick Rauser weighed in on the need for a school resource officer to help with possible safety issues. He is working on getting a resource officer set up to be available the second semester of school.
Superintendent Susie Hedalen had researched additional safety precautions including bringing in school safety experts to evaluate the playground to get suggestions. “The problem was each expert, and parents who weighed in, had different ideas about how to solve the problem,” she said.
Homeland Security Officer Randy Middlebrook pointed out that the most important school problem is office employees cannot see the high school entryway from the office, so even though a voice entry system is in place, the office staff cannot identify callers except by voice.
Board Chairman Jason Noyes emphasized it is “100 percent not true” he is against school safety. “After all our work planning the new elementary school building and grounds, safety plans are immensely better than what we had before.”
He pointed out the playground is protected on three sides.
The old playground was not protected at all from a possible kidnapper or active shooter. “Whatever we do will never be perfect because there is always a risk of gun violence,” he said.
Daniel Truesdell and Noyes voted against the motion. Ragen, Vanessa Flynn and Jason Kool voted in favor.
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PhotoCredit: Photo Credits: Nancy Marks
Image 1 Caption: Townsend Schools Playground
Photo Credits: Nancy Marks
