Published: October 16, 2007 05:06 pm      

School safety — WV reviewing school entry access points

The decision by Gov. Joe Manchin to direct $10 million in additional funding to the West Virginia School Building Authority as part of the School Access Safety Act should help to improve security in schools across the Mountain State.

The funding in particular will help to examine and improve the level of security at school entry access points. The SBA is working in collaboration with the West Virginia Department of Education on school building safety issues.

Recent acts of school violence across the nation has prompted officials in the Mountain State to take another look at local school security measures.

According to State School Superin-tendent Steve Paine, when school violence occurs anywhere in the nation, it serves as a reminder to educators in the Mountain State that we cannot be complacent. No kidding.

The education department is also encouraging all schools in West Virginia to review their crisis management plans. The plans will be customized to each individual county school system, and will explore such issues as school security and actions to be taken in the event of a bomb threat or an intruder entering a school building. Each county school system is required to have a crisis management plan in place under the federal Safe Schools Act, according to a press release by the state Department of Education.

Paine said research shows that school connectedness is one of the most important factors in preventing school violence. This includes creating positive relationships between students and teachers and providing a strong foundation for at-risk students.

Parents must trust that when they send their children to school they will be in a safe and nurturing environment.

Paine said while every school must have an active safety plan, it is also critical for students, parents, teachers and administrators to work together to identify and report unusual behavior by anyone on a school campus.

We applaud the renewed focus on school safety in the Mountain State, and we urge continued vigilance among all educators, teachers, parents, and administrators when it comes to keeping our schools our schools and our children safe.

Recent acts of violence in schools across the nation serves as a chilling reminder of the fact that we cannot be complacent.

We must act now to safeguard our schools, and our school entry access points.

We must do everything humanly possible to ensure that our schools are safe, and that are children are in a safe and positive learning environment.

The $10 million funding allocation by Manchin should help in achieving this all-important goal.