SCHOOL SAFETY Around the Valley

Here's a look at what some other school districts are doing to assure the safety of their students:
BOARDMAN
The school district is seeking federal money to put a Boardman police officer on duty in the district's two middle schools, said Superintendent Don Dailey.
A retired Boardman officer is already employed to police the high school. Security cameras monitor activity in high school corridors, and assistant principals and playground monitors carry 2-way radios.
Teachers have been issued booklets with instructions for handling a wide range of crises and problems, he said.
"We feel that we have a pretty safe environment at this point," Dailey said.
LOWELLVILLE
The district has completed a school-by-school safety plan, and it will continue reviewing it this year, said Superintendent Richard Buchenic.
Lowellville schools do not have any of the high-tech security devices found in other districts, but that may be a possibility when the district's new K-12 campus is completed in 2003.
"We are going to see what the state requires," Buchenic said.
SALEM
A $1,800 study last year by an outside consultant has resulted in a uniform plan for how schools will deal with emergencies. Teacher training this year will include safety issues, said Superintendent David Brobeck.
The school district uses security cameras to monitor a running track used by the community. It has also been checking out fire escapes on school buildings and considering the practicality of winter fire drills.
"Really, natural disasters are more of a concern to us," Brobeck said. "It has made the news when an adult walks in and starts hitting people, or some kids go crazy, but more kids are injured in storms and that type of thing."
FARRELL
This year, the school district instituted a policy requiring that all visitors to the school enter through the central office and sign in.
Last year, a parent donated a remote lock system for the entrance doors at John Hetra Child Development Center, which houses day care, Head Start and kindergarten classes. Now, visitors to the center must be buzzed in, after a secretary checks them out through a convex mirror, said Superintendent Richard Rubano.
There are telephones in all classrooms, and the district has an intervention officer to work with troubled children in high school.
"We have really done a lot in the last couple of years," Rubano said.
BEAVER LOCAL
The school year is only one week old, but the police officer assigned to Beaver schools has already made two trips with other staff to the home of a middle school student who had been refusing to come to school.
The police officer, who started last year, "has been helpful," said Superintendent Willard Adkins.
The district has also installed cameras and remote controlled locks at entrances to the middle and high schools.
"You should not be allowed to enter the building without being recognized by a staff member," he said. A similar system is envisioned for the district's three elementary schools, and cameras are also being considered for school hallways.
The district's crisis management plan, first put in place two years ago, is the subject of continued revision.
"We are always going to re-examine what we can do, because you can always improve," Adkins said. "I'd rather err on the side of overdoing it."