District Drags Feet as Local Parents Demand School Security Improvements
Over the last few months, local parents have been asking the district to close security vulnerabilities identified in our schools. With the rise of school invasions, crime in our area, and even a threat against Rock Creek Elementary this year, it is understandable that many parents feel nervous about sending their children to potentially insecure environments. Concerned citizens have been stepping up to brainstorm and offer solution-oriented approaches meant to mitigate the identified weaknesses.
Much of the concern stems from lacking security standards around school entrances and portables. As it currently stands, only the high school contains a fully secured “buzz locked” entry. Other schools within the district contain unlocked front doors that simply route potential intruders through the school’s front office before granting access to the rest of the facility. Portables are often left unlocked leaving them exposed to potential intruders. Moreover, portable doors do not contain peep holes, so even with a locked door, educators have no way to view who is outside. It can’t always be assumed that the person knocking is a student waiting to be let in after a bathroom break.
Parents have offered a simple solution to the issue and have requested that the district implement these easy and affordable changes ASAP.
Install “buzz locked” entries at all school front entrances denying access to the inside of the building by any potential intruders (estimated at $850-$10,000 per system).
Install keypad style locks on portables to ensure they remain passively locked at all times (estimated at $500-$1500 per system).
Install viewing mechanisms such as peep holes on all portable doors to ensure staff can safely determine who they are letting into their facility (less than $20 per door).
Back in June, the Seattle School District had an intruder enter an unlocked portable. 5th grade students were forced to hold the door closed to prevent the intruder from entering, but ultimately failed. When the intruder overpowered the students and entered the portable, he allegedly attempted to grab and abduct a girl claiming she looked like his sister. Cheap autolocking keypad doors would have prevented the escalation of this incident.
Concerned parents claim that the district already has the funding in place to make these cost-effective changes at any time. At the end of 2021-2022 school year, the TSD had over $25 million dollars in its General Fund. Considering property tax assessments have skyrocketed this year with many local residents seeing a 25%+ increase to their 2023 property tax bill, it is estimated that the TSD will also see a large property tax revenue increase over the next coming years. This one-time affordable investment to secure our schools is a no-brainer.
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Unfortunately, local citizens pushing for improved security have shared with Tahoma Parents that the district is dragging their feet on the issue. Parents have stated that their emails have been ignored, statements to the School Board have been vaguely addressed, private meetings have been canceled, and Safety Committee involvement has been denied.
According to parents pushing improvements, the district’s Safety Committee is responsible for researching and recommending changes required for buildings. It consists of 30-40 members, the majority of whom are district staff. The committee meets quarterly and is aware of the vulnerabilities, but thus far has failed to provide a public timeline as to when they will address them with the School Board. One parent who asked to join the committee was told by a district administrator that her name was on a waiting list, “…but didn't think the parent volunteer position would be available.”
“The parent volunteer position…” implies that on a committee of 30-40 people, only a single parent representative who is not employed by the district is allowed. This once again showcases just how underrepresented parents are under current district leadership. Parents have the absolute right to represent their children on the issue of school safety. It is a travesty that the district would not seek to include more parental viewpoints on such a committee.
It's a shame that the district can’t be bothered to move faster on such an easy issue.
Parents are planning to make their voices heard on the topic during the August 23rd School Board meeting. The goal is to offer solutions and show that the district is able to implement these changes right away. Any parents who have concerns around school security are highly encouraged to attend and support those who have been working diligently for the safety of all kids in the district.
Further research submitted to us on the topic can be viewed here:
4 out of 5 School Board Director positions are up for election in 2023. It is our mission to ensure the election of directors who take parental concerns seriously! Let us know if you or anyone you know is interested in stepping up for our kids.
