At the beginning of the year, Superintendent Malcolm Thomas established a task force to come up with measures to improve school security. He asked parents to send their recommendations to their school principals.
The task force came about because of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut the prior month.
What were the results of the task force? The school district spent tens of thousands of dollars on security at the Hall Center where the school board holds its meetings. Elsewhere, not much. However, Thomas did let go his security/safety director of the past nine years who had recommended several improvements to the schools, including alarm systems. Those recommendations were ignored and never presented to the school board.
Molino Park Elementary School was burglarized and vandalized Saturday night. Thousands of dollars worth of electronics were stolen from throughout the school, including Apple computers, iPads, Wii gaming systems, cameras used by the school’s student-operated closed circuit TV station, along with other items.
It’s time the school board revisit the security issue.