School safety has been an ongoing concern for many years all across America. However, St. Dominic makes constant efforts to ensure the safety of its students, staff and community.
According to sources such as The Center of Homeland Defense and Security, there have been over 300 school shootings since 2013. This number is only rising. Types of shootings can range from mass shootings or directed attacks towards an individual. Some of the most fatal and infamous examples of this common threat would be Columbine High (1999) with 13 fatalities and 21 injuries, and Sandy Hook Elementary (2012) with 26 fatalities, 20 of those deaths being children ages six to seven.
These horrific, inhumane, and absolutely sickening incidents have left a lasting impression on schools across the country. In order to prevent school violence, many schools have implemented new protocols and procedures in the case this may happen to local schools and communities.
There are thousands of steps a school must take in order to maintain student safety. According to The National Center for Education Statistics, ensuring school safety requires a combination of physical security measures and well-trained school staff. One crucial part is maintaining secure entry points and visitor management, which includes controlled access to school grounds, student ID verification, and visitor logs to prevent unauthorized entry. Surveillance cameras and monitoring systems further enhance security by providing real-time monitoring and recorded footage for investigations. Additionally, emergency exits and designated safe zones ensure that students and staff can evacuate quickly in case of emergencies.
Beyond physical measures, the community plays a vital role in safety protocols. Teachers and staff undergo regular training to handle emergencies and recognize threats. Also, emergency response teams are crucial in coordinating drills, deciding crisis plans, and being quick to take action during incidents. By enforcing these security measures and roles, schools can create a safer learning environment for everyone.
St. Dominic has always strived to keep this environment safe, especially with the help of Assistant Principal of Student Life, Mr. Nathan Tock. The most important thing when it comes to school safety is always having a plan. Rather it’s an assault issue, bomb threat, or bus accident, there is always a plan to follow.
“It is all about everything that could happen at school and us having a plan for it,” Mr. Tock said.
The key to a safe school and good plans is a cooperative staff. All faculty work together. Rather that is by refreshing safety protocols or expressing possible safety concerns to administrators. Dean of Students, Mrs. Melissa Liszewski is the one in charge of giving each person in the safety committee a designated job. Some members are in charge of fire drills, some for intruders, and many more.
“God forbid we ever have a real event that we need to use our plans, however our communications person is in charge of certain things, our admissions people are in charge of certain things, and this is because we know what their skill set is, so we put them in charge of those types of things,” Mrs. Liszewski said.
While the staff who are given a role are not directly trained for their role separately from the rest, jobs are given to people who specialize in that department. For example, Mr. Frank Schlenke worked as a firefighter for nearly 30 years, so he is placed on the safety committee as being responsible to take action in the case of a fire. Administration makes sure that they find people with certain skills, and are sure to utilize those skills in the best fashion. Liszewski tends to specialize in anything pertaining to organization. She keeps all things in check, including doors, parking lots, and security cameras.
In this day and age, constant surveillance plays a pretty big role in maintaining the safety of the school. They not only act as a deterrent against bad behavior but also provide evidence if it is ever needed. Recognizing the importance of rapid responses and monitoring, St. Dominic has just upgraded their security camera system. The new system sends live footage directly to the local police department, ensuring that any suspicious activity is quickly identified and addressed. This real-time connection enhances the overall safety on campus and reinforces the commitment to protecting students, staff, and the community.
“The best thing about the new cameras is how easy it is to find surveillance footage. So if someone got punched in the back of the head in the 200 hallway at 11:07, I can find it right away. Whereas it used to be me searching and waiting hours to get the footage. We are overhauling the tech part of it because it is good to have,” Tock said.
St. Dominic is fortunate enough to be able to afford reliable security. However, this is not always the case for other schools in the area. Many schools across the country struggle to afford reliable security measures, which raises concerns about student safety. This financial issue often leads to a significant gap between wealthier schools and those with fewer resources. With information pulled from the National Center for Education Statistics, “richer” schools can typically invest in advanced security systems, hire more security, and implement intricate safety protocols.
In contrast, schools with limited budgets may lack these critical protections, making them more vulnerable to security breaches and incidents. This inequity not only puts students at risk but also highlights the broader issue of funding disparities in education, where the safety and well-being of students can be directly influenced by the financial resources available to their schools.
Mr. Tock went to a conference for administrators all over the country who had an active role in school safety. At this conference, Tock learned a lot about any schools with contrasting budgets, students, and protocols. After hearing several accounts of real life events and sharing different perspectives of school safety, all of the administrators who went to this conference were able to bring new advice and ideas to their own schools, showing how much effort the community puts into securing safety.
“Hearing different accounts of real events of school shootings really scared me, but I was able to use that knowledge of what the guy did in order to take action in the case it happens to us,” Tock said.
It is true that every person here at St. Dominic cares deeply about the safety of their school and everyone inside of it. Their persistent efforts is what makes this place so safe and secure, while also being extremely open and welcoming.
