School safety is at top of the list in area schools
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By Marlene J. Bohr
Student safety is at the top of the list for leaders in our local school districts. Both Daingerfield-Lone Star Independent School District and Hughes Springs Independent School District take serious efforts to ensure students, teachers and employees are safe while at their campuses.
Daingerfield-Lone Star ISD Superintendent Sandra Quarles said student safety is the number one priority for the district.
“Tragic events in schools throughout the country serve as a stark reminder that by their very nature, schools are vulnerable,” Mrs. Quarles said. “Schools are designed to be welcoming and easily assessable to the community. However, there are measures which we can and have taken to provide extra protection. Improving school safety is an on-going initiative in the district. It is a proven fact that students perform better in a safe and caring environment.”
School Resource Officer, T.J. Frazier, was added to the staff last year through a joint grant with the city of Daingerfield.
“Although Officer Frazier has an office at the high school, he is often seen at each of the campuses,” she said. “One of his main objectives is to foster positive relationships between the student body and the law enforcement community. He has provided instruction in classrooms concerning bullying and drug education and makes home visits to curb truancy.” Aiphones are now located at each campus, according to Mrs. Quarles. “Anyone wishing to enter the building during the day must ring the bell, be observed by the person in the office, and only then is the door unlocked from inside the office,” she said. “This greatly increases the security of the building during the school day. A security camera system was installed at the junior high, and the system at the high school was upgraded to increase the number and quality of both the cameras and the DVD system. Also, each classroom has been provided telephone access to the office.
“New outside doors were installed throughout the high school. Many of the previous entrances are now exit only—greatly eliminating access to the building. Also, fire alarm systems were upgraded at the junior high and the high school. Fire drills, tornado drills and bus evacuation drills are conducted on a regular basis. There is a District Crisis Plan in place, as well as a School Disaster Plan for each campus. CPR and other safety training are provided for personnel on each campus. Defibrillators are located throughout the district. A background check is required for allschool volunteers.“A successful safety audit was recently conducted by Region 8 for our district and will be on file with the Texas School Safety Center.” Hughes Springs ISD Superintendent Rick Ogden echoes the sentiments of safety first for the students.
To continue reading this article purchase the July 31st edition of The Steel Country Bee or go to our online e-edition at: http://www.etypeservices.com/Daingerfield%20BeeID312/default.aspx
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