Canfield officials address school safety at community meeting tonight

CANFIELD

Canfield schools superintendent said talking about safety and security remains a “fluid conversation.”

“We will continue to address issues and have dialogue and do better,” said Superintendent Alex Geordan during Tuesday evening’s Community Awareness meeting.

School-security issues are at the forefront of national debate after mass school shootings in places such as Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14; Italy High in Italy, Texas, on Jan. 22; Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, 2012; and Columbine High in Columbine, Colo., on April 20, 1999.

Some improvements that came as a result of the fluid conversations include a buzzer system at each school’s main entrance, cameras in every building, panic buttons for distress situations, having a ballistics shield and a planned updated ALICE (alert, lockdown, inform, counter and evacuate) training on the first day of the 2018-19 school year.

“Do we have safety plans?” Geordan said. “Yes, we have safety plans. ”

“Do I think we are moving in the right direction?” he said. “Yes, I do. But are we finished? No.”

Read more about the matter and the meeting in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.