Diana Stricker Photo
The Branford school superintendent wants to upgrade security cameras at school buildings, improve lock systems and evaluate public address systems. And he wants to make sure high school students are not leaving the building for coffee breaks.
Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez told the board (pictured above) Wednesday he will have specific recommendations and funding requests for security upgrades at next month’s meeting. He will also give a report next month on the progress that architects are making in their cost analysis of major renovations for Walsh Intermediate School and Sliney Elementary School.
The issue of whether students are permitted to leave the high school for coffee breaks came up during a discussion of safety regulations. Hernandez and board chair Frank Carrano said such behavior is not allowed, but board member John Prins said it should be.
CAMERAS, LOCKS AND COMMUNICATIONS
“We can never stop being vigilant,” Hernandez told the board as he talked about security measures.
Schools statewide have been increasing security in the aftermath of the shootings at Sandy Hill Elementary School in Newtown that claimed the lives of 20 students and six staff members.
Hernandez said all Branford schools have direct communication with police and emergency responders through what’s typically referred to as panic buttons. Hernandez said he doesn’t like to use the work “panic” explaining that “Panic is the absolute last thing you need.”
The superintendent outlined the way that visitors are permitted to enter buildings. “Visitors need to be buzzed in,” he said, by someone in the main office. They are currently required to sign in and wear either a badge or a sticker, but Hernandez said stickers will be replaced by badges to have uniformity at all schools. He said some security cameras will be upgraded to provide clearer pictures.
Hernandez also said that the door-release systems on some entry doors will be upgraded so there is no delay in closing after someone is buzzed into the building. In addition, buzzer systems may be installed on the second set of entrance doors to provide additional security.
Hernandez said he will be asking for funding to assess the public address systems in the schools and replace them if needed. “I want to make sure that whatever we have is fully operational,” he said.
COFFEE OR CLASS?
In response to questions by board members about high school students being “out and about” during the school day, Hernandez explained that the high school has “open campus” scheduling where some students begin or end their school day before others. He said students are not permitted to come and go at will during class hours, and they are not permitted to go out for a cup of coffee. However, he said what the school permits and what students do is sometimes different.
Carrano asked for clarification of the policy because “people mention that a lot” that they see students going to the near-by Dunkin’ Donuts during class hours.
Hernandez said there will be “consequences” for students who leave the building for coffee breaks. He said students who leave for any reason must be buzzed into the main entrance by office personnel and that no one is permitted to prop doors open.
Board member John Prins said he felt “a little saddened” that the district is limiting freedoms of high school students. “How awful is it that a kid who has a free period can’t go get a cup of coffee…Why shouldn’t they be able to do those things?”
Carrano disagreed. “I don’t happen to think high school students need to leave the school to get a cup of coffee during the day,” he said, adding that there are safety issues involved. He said parents expect their kids to be in the building during class hours.
WALSH RENOVATIONS
Hernandez said he is meeting with architects from Silver/Petrucelli & Associates soon to get an update of their work. The firm was hired to develop a cost analysis and sketches for possible major renovations at Walsh. In addition, they were asked to compare the cost of renovating Sliney with the cost of renovating and expanding the former Branford Hills Elementary School, which could then replace Sliney. He will report to the board next month.
Hernandez also said that the sound-reduction ceiling tiles should be in place at Walsh sometime during March. He said the purchase order should be signed soon, and that the tiles would be shipped in two weeks.
The tiles will be installed in the fifth-grade wing to help reduce noise levels. Walsh, which was built in 1971 when the open classroom concept was popular, has few interior walls. For more than a year, parents have been clamoring for sound-proofing and walls, especially in the fifth-grade wing.
A Facilities Committee was formed over the summer to discuss the feasibility of renovating or rebuilding Walsh and Sliney. The committee has not met since November when Carrano and committee members agreed to bring in an architectural firm to do some preliminary sketches and a cost analysis for the buildings. It will be up to the school board to vote on which options seem feasible. Any renovation or construction projects must be approved by the Board of Finance and the Representative Town Meeting.
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