Ventnor Educational Community Complex
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
VENTNOR – Parents whose children attend school at the Ventnor Educational Community Complex are concerned about the safety of their children following a string of mass shootings in schools around the country, most recently in Uvaldi, Texas.
At the June 22 Board of Education meeting, a group of elementary school parents chose fellow parent and attorney Brian Seidel to speak to the board on their behalf. He said parents are concerned about the social and emotional well-being of their children.
“If there is a common denominator in all these events it is mental health, every single one,” he said. “Do we need to do more?”
He compared the expansive VECC building, which has lots of doors and windows and houses both an elementary and middle school, to that of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., where 26 people were murdered.
“It happened in five minutes before police arrived,” he said. “What can we do better, reasonably?”
He suggested having additional cameras that are constantly monitored, a walkie-talkie system and professionally trained guards.
His comments came after Superintendent Carmela Somershoe updated the board on what the district is doing to enhance school safety, which has been an ongoing effort in the district, and Jenna Polise and members of the district’s Guidance Department revealed the results of a recent school climate survey that showed 98% of students feel safe in school and that they have someone they can talk to if they have problems.
The survey also revealed that four main stressors for students are keeping up with schoolwork, pressure to achieve high grades, managing stress, and concerns about their future. The guidance department will work in the upcoming school year to alleviate stressors and help students feel more confident, they said.
“Our school security procedures are something we can’t really share, but we are reviewing procedures, continue with our required drills and we have great collaboration from police daily,” Somershoe said.
The district is working this summer on updating emergency plans to include best practices and will be meeting with Police Chief Joe Fussner to provide a Class 3 officer or school resource officer when school resumes in fall. School Facilities Director Ron Fenton will be attending a NJ Department of Education training program in July to update districts on the latest school security recommendations.
“There probably will be some changes,” she said. “Sometimes those won’t be evident, some you can see, some you won’t see.”
Board President Doug Biagi, who retired last year from his job as chief of the Ventnor City Police Department, informed Seidel that the State of New Jersey has placed a high priority on training police officers to immediately eliminate any threats to children. Every school district has a private written policy that establishes strong relationships, such as police notifying school district officials when something happens in the community.
“You don’t need to know what’s in that, but it opens a line of communication,” Biagi said. “The things that happen in other states in other schools, we practice for that monthly. Officers have a different direction on handling things. In New Jersey, police officers have one job if there is an active shooter. It is to go in and stop the shooter, period.”
He suggested parents brush up on the NJ Attorney General’s policies on active shooters and discuss fears with their children.
“We’re not advocating to have police police the students…we are talking about a well-trained guard,” Seidel said.
Biagi said the district would work to find “the perfect fit,” for the schools.
Former Mayor Tim Kriesher noted that law enforcement agencies collaborate and train together on school security.
He said teachers are always on the lookout for children who might not fit in or are shy or being bullied. He suggested the district install a “buddy bench” where children who are in need of companionship or are having a bad day can sit as a signal they would like another student to join them on the bench.
“It teaches students compassion and empathy, and the feeling of doing something good,” he said. “I am willing to donate a bench in memory of my mother and father.”
“It’s a great idea. We’ll make it happen,” Biagi said.
In a related matter, the district’s insurance professional Gene Siracusa informed the board that there is a new “active shooter” insurance policy available for public institutions. Biagi said the board would review the information.
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