COLUMN: School security has to be more than just a talking point

By Dan Kontos

Now that a little time has passed since the horrific and evil school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, we should take a sober step back and reflect on how secure our own schools are. The summer months are an opportune time to ready ourselves for the 2022-2023 school year and beyond, but someone has to care enough to do this.

After an unimaginably wicked tragedy, such as a school shooting, many often are shocked into a state of pure reaction and desperation to find the “ultimate” solution to keep our kids and staff safe while they go about the critically important task of preparing the next generation for the challenges ahead. But, talk is cheap.

This is not knee-jerk reaction time—or another opportunity for despicable politicians to get their cheap and tired political shots in. This is not about gun control or even mental health. This is about taking real and concrete steps to effect change here and now. It’s about being rational and keeping your eye on that ball.

Let’s take the Stevens Point Area Public School District as an example. You may have read recently about continuing initiatives from law enforcement such as the Rescue Task Force and other planned responses to life-threatening situations. These programs are all well and good, but they are reactive in nature.

The key to school safety and security is a planned, proactive, and continuous effort to make it, and keep it, a priority.

If the well-known Ben Franklin active shooter false alarm event back on February 17, 2017, taught us anything, it is that our local law enforcement can be counted on for a swift and powerful response to any school threat. School resource officers, camera upgrades, door buzzers, and the like are a good addition to the security posture of our schools, but the overall strategic approach by the District itself is uncoordinated and myopic.

In the not-too-distant past, 2014 to be exact, the District began to plan for incremental improvements to the security posture of select schools. By 2015, considerable money had been allocated for implementation, and buildings and procedures started to take shape. In 2016 the plan was expanded.

This was a time when the School District had a robust Safety and Security Committee, well attended by local law enforcement. The larger group has been split into smaller groups. The previous consensus, agreed to by district leadership, was that safety and security had to be coordinated by someone whose sole focus was just that. The plan was to eventually employ a professional in this area to coordinate and concentrate on the protection of the children and employees. 

To this day, no one person has that sole mission. The duties have been split between two people, the security coordinator at SPASH, and the facilities director—now retitled as the facilities and safety manager.  

However, in the intervening years, they did find enough money to hire two “equity, diversity and inclusion” staff. I wonder what their security background is? This is the priority of the District, not safety and security. Talk is cheap; actions are all that count in the end. 

While children are taught that they can choose their own pronouns and change their names in school, which the staff will hide from their parents (oh yes, more on this later), the fantastic and dedicated security personnel, school resource officers, and principals are left to fend for their own little islands. Don’t you think they deserve better?

You cannot just throw money at a problem. You must have a well-integrated and layered plan with constant monitoring and improvements. The District is over 400 square miles in size, with fourteen different school buildings, plus lots of other properties. That is too much responsibility for an additional duty, don’t you think?

Speaking of just throwing money at a problem, in November of 2018 the voters approved a not-so-insignificant referendum for the District, increasing their own property taxes, in part to improve the security posture of the schools. Who coordinated these improvements, and fought to make sure that all projects were properly applied?

Numerous design and implementation flaws have been exposed after recent construction. I won’t go into specific details because, having a security background myself, I am aware of how these vulnerabilities can be exploited. It suffices to say that, as examples, exit points have been eliminated, vulnerability hardening has been disregarded, and access point features were poorly conceived. Who is coordinating this?

I am calling on the Stevens Point School District to make safety and security a real and lasting priority. Hire a proper professional whose sole mission is to improve and coordinate the protection and safe keeping of our students and staff. If you need the money, I say cancel the diversity staff contracts and get your priorities straight. We have just scratched the surface here.

So, with that, let’s meet in the opinion section to talk about all of it, boldly, honestly, and with a healthy respect for each other. Until then, God bless.

Dan Kontos is a paid columnist for the Metro Wire. He chooses his own topics and his opinions do not necessarily represent the staff of the Metro Wire. He lives with his family in Whiting. 

We are seeking a liberal columnist. Anyone with interest should email [email protected].