Uniontown school board to update crisis plan

By Jason E. Silvers

Herald-Tribune

UNIONTOWN -- The USD 235 Board of Education is scheduled to get more information on a plan to update the seven-year old crisis plan at West Bourbon Elementary School during their regular meeting on Monday.

In January, WBE Principal Marianna Daugherty told the board about a plan by WBE officials to review and update the school's current crisis plan, which was designed in 2000. That plan outlines the course of action that students, faculty and staff at the school would take in the event of certain emergency situations such as fires, tornados, and unexpected intruders.

A group of WBE faculty members, site council members, and safety experts worked through most of last year to update the existing crisis plan, Daugherty has said.

USD 235 Superintendent Randy Rockhold said the new and improved crisis plan will also detail a new chain of command for personnel at the school and any duties and procedures those staff members must follow should a crisis or disaster situation occur at the school. The new plan also dictates what each person inside the school must do in the event of an emergency or threat situation at the school, Rockhold said.

Because of WBE's close proximity to U.S. Highway 54, the school is in danger of being exposed to chemical spills from trucks on that highway, Rockhold said. There is also the potential for bus accidents to occur on the highway, he said.

Daugherty is expected to present more information to the board on the matter during their meeting on Monday in the Uniontown Junior Senior High School commons area, 601 Fifth St. The board will hear details of the revised crisis plan at that meeting, and will vote to approve or disapprove the plan during their June meeting, Rockhold said.

Rockhold said that in addition to the school's crisis plan, school officials make sure the school building is as secure as possible in a time where cases of school violence are popping up all across the country.

"We want to be prepared to deal with issues," Rockhold said. "It's a continued process of making things more real and current."

This summer, WBE officials are planning to install a new video surveillance system and other security devices at the school in preparation for the upcoming school year, Rockhold said. The board has approved spending about $9,000 on security equipment that also included a fingerprint reader that will scan about 250 students before they enter the building, he said. A two-way communication system at the school's entrance will also be installed, Rockhold said.

The school currently employs a set of cameras and fire alarms throughout the school, an alarm system that notifies staff of a break-in after normal school hours, and an intercom system that allows staff to communicate with each other throughout the building.

New security equipment will enable officials to a better job of securing the building so that only approved students, teachers and staff are granted entry each day.

Other visitors and guests must get approval from front desk staff before they can enter the school building.

After the new equipment is in place, there will only be one access point in the building after the school day starts, and it will be closely monitored, Rockhold said. The building will be locked down throughout the entire school day, and access to the building at the entrance point will be continuously monitored. School staff currently monitor the front door of the school and the gymnasium to greet students and provide needed supervision.

On Monday, the board is also scheduled to conduct the following business:

* Listen to administrative reports from Rockhold, Daugherty, and Uniontown Junior Senior High School Principal Tracy Smith.

* Approve the April treasurer's report; the WBE and UJSHS handbooks for the 2007-08 school year; and the district athletic handbook for the 2007-08 school year.

* Approve any supplemental duty assignments and classified employment assignments for the upcoming school year.

The board has also scheduled an executive session to discuss personnel matters.