SOUTH RIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Principal Janice Suave stands with two security officers from Phoenix Protective Corporation. The Ridgefield School District entered into a partnership with PPC to enhance campus security through the end of the 2013 school year.
The Ridgefield School District finalized an agreement with the Phoenix Protective Corporation on January 14, to provide school safety and security services for its four schools.
In a letter sent by Superintendent Art Edgerly to students, their parents and members of the community on Jan. 10, he said the district will fund two full-time uniformed and armed officers to help enhance security on all campuses. Communication and Production Manager Eric Jacobsen said the goal is to make children feel safe, not isolated.
“We’re definitely not looking to create a prison mentality. We’re simply looking to enhance security issues we’ve already recognized and needed to address,” said Jacobsen. “Most people don’t remember that our schools were constructed in the 1970s, when they were designed to invite the whole community in. We still want them to have that feel, but we do need to do what we can to ensure students and teachers are safe when they’re here.”
With the recent events at both Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT and at the Clackamas Shopping Center, Jacobsen added that those events were the catalyst for the district to act on increasing security measures at its schools.
Having security personnel at Ridgefield’s schools is not a new concept. Jacobsen explained that the district hired Security Resource Officers (SRO) from 2008-2010, but an inability to continue funding led to their departure.
“We had been able to find grant money and also got grant money from the Ridgefield Police Department to have SRO’s on campus,” Jacobsen said. “Unfortunately, when we all began to have budget issues during the recession, we weren’t able to afford them.”
Phoenix Protective Corporation was founded in 2002 and is based in Spokane, WA. They provide Loss Prevention and Uniform Security and Jacobsen said they work with as many as 17 school districts in Washington State to enhance their security.
“Not only do they help provide officers, but they provided curriculum for and trained many of the SRO’s we’ve all used over the years,” said Jacobsen.
The contract runs through the end of the 2013 school year. for the first six weeks, PPC is providing a third officer to help implementation of the security program at no cost to the district. PPC is also working with the district administration to review and revise existing emergency practices, provide training to the faculty, identify locations for enhanced security measures and advise with other precautionary issues.
“The administration has been wanting to add more security to the district for some time, and with the bond measure passed last year, it gives us the means to do that across the board,” said Jacobsen. “The important thing we want to convey to parents and our neighbors is this is a moderate, controlled response that is not a permanent solution. We will be re-evaluating our needs at the end of the year.”
When asked how the response from the community has been, Jacobsen said he’s heard predominantly positive feedback.
“The main concern is parents are worried about having armed guards at their child’s school,” said Jacobsen. “Again, we have two officers who will be helping monitor security in the district, but we’re also taking steps to get the community involved in helping kids feel safe when they’re at school.”
The district recently ordered over 100 new classroom door locks over the winter break, allowing teachers to lockdown classrooms from the inside in the event of an emergency. The maintenance staff has begun installing the locks at the elementary schools and will work their way up through the middle school and finally the high school.
The district also routinely does lockdown and fire drills to keep students and faculty educated and aware of the proper procedures.
“We just ran a drill at South Ridge Elementary School about two weeks ago,” Jacobsen said. “One part of the recent tragedies which I think really shook up educators across the country was it made them understand how important it was to be prepared for those sorts of possibilities, even though no one wants to consider it could ever happen to them.”
Edgerly made a point in his letter to reassure local residents that no immediate threats to any students at any school have been reported.
“The district prioritizes school safety and security and regularly reviews our security protocols, making enhancements and revisions wherever needed, especially when circumstances demonstrate urgent needs,” Edgerly said. “I want to personally thank the Ridgefield community for their support and suggestions over the past few weeks.”
