BOARD OF EDUCATION Bomb threat disrupts Sharon school meeting

It was the second bomb threat at the building in a week.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- A bomb threat written on a restroom wall at the high school disrupted the city school board's monthly work session.
Donna DeBonis, superintendent, said she got word of the threat as the school board was meeting in executive session Wednesday just before the start of the 6:30 p.m. work session. The board was meeting at the high school.
Several members of the administration were scheduled to make reports to the board on a variety of issues but were called away because they are part of the district's crisis management team, she said.
It was the second bomb threat at the junior-senior high school in a week.
First report
The first one came Oct. 6. A student overhead two other students talking about a bomb that was to explode the next day. The student notified a parent, who called the school. The threat turned out to be false.
Wednesday's threat was handwritten on a restroom wall, DeBonis said, adding that Capital Protective Services was called to bring in explosive-sniffing dogs to search the building Wednesday evening.
Classes were to resume on a regular schedule today, but all students and staff were required to pass through a screening process, including metal detectors, upon entering the building.
Entry was restricted to the main doors on the west side of the building, and students were advised to bring only essential items to school to speed up the screening process.
Alternative education
In one of the few items briefly presented to the board, DeBonis proposed reinstating the elementary school alternative education program for disruptive students and students who have trouble performing in a normal classroom setting.
Sharon tried a pilot program in the elementary two years go and it went well, but the district opted to place disruptive students in an outside program last year.
That program is no longer available and Sharon needs to restart its own, DeBonis said, adding the cost will be about $66,000. That money isn't allocated in the current budget, she said.
School directors are expected to vote on the matter at their regular meeting Monday.
Security issues
Security was another issue discussed by the board.
The district is proposing the purchase of security doors for Case Avenue Elementary at a cost of $3,190 to better control access to the building and is also looking at putting security cameras at the Musser Elementary and West Hill Elementary playgrounds to thwart vandalism to equipment at those locations.
Those items could also come up for a vote Monday.
gwin@vindy.com