Each Bowling Green police officer now has the means to enter a school building in the event of an active shooter.
School safety continues to be on everyone’s mind, especially in light of what happened in Uvalde, Texas, in May, said Bowling Green City Schools Superintendent Francis Scruci at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
Scruci reported that each Bowling Green Police Division officer has been given a key fob to enter any district building in the event of an emergency.
That will allow them to enter a building sooner in the event of a security issue, he said.
Previously, each police cruiser had a fob.
After the Uvalde incident, police Chief Tony Hetrick asked that each officer get a fob, Scruci said.
“This increases the response time for our safety personnel to enter the building and eliminate the threat sooner,” Scruci said. “Officers know if there is a threat, they are going into the building as soon as they arrive on scene.”
Security measures include the Boot, ballistic shields, the Raptor system that does a background check for anyone entering a building, surveillance cameras and protective glass coverings.
Emergency plans are practiced throughout the year.
“I think as a district, we’ve made every effort to keep our students’ safety from an active threat and we trust the response time and the support we received from the Bowling Green Police Department,” Scruci said.
Also at the meeting, board member Ginny Stewart reported that Staples was offering a school kit for $5 plus tax that includes dry erase markers, highlighters, pens, pencils and erasers, and a glue stick.
“It’s an opportunity for the community once again to help students in our classrooms with supplies,” she said.
Also at the meeting, the board:
• Heard Dallas Black, whose employment as a high school Spanish teacher was terminated last month, discuss how he felt he was not afforded his due process during the disciplinary hearings.
As with other speakers, he was given 3 minutes, and when the timer went off, he was told he was out of time.
“As simple as that?” he asked board President Jill Carr.
“As simple as that,” she responded.
Earlier in the meeting, he had suggested the board keep a weekly summary of public records requests, as it had taken more than a month to get the documents he had requested regarding a complaint filed against him.
“Transparency impacts your credibility,” Black said.
• Hired Samantha Hornyak and Emily Polce as fourth grade teachers at Kenwood Elementary; Zachary Yoder as a physical education teacher at Crim Elementary; and Jennifer Metzger as middle school band director for one year to replace Kayla Gronsky, who is on leave.
• Hired Jordan Arrington as high school assistant football coach, $3,400; Debra Ondrus as coordinator of Community Outreach and Student Wellness, $94,343 paid out of ESSER II funds; and Kristine Fauver as school psychologist, $82.80 per hour.
• Gave Laura Weaver a stipend of $10,000 to fill gift coordinator duties.
• Approved 22 supplemental contracts. Those that total more than $2,000 for duties rendered include: Courtney Boswell, middle school choral music adviser, $2,684; Bruce Corrigan, high school marching band director, $7,951, and high school instrumental music director, $3,280; Samantha Preisner, high school marching band assistant director, $4,969, and middle school instrumental music adviser, $2,684; Beth Vaughn, high school choral music director, $3,280; Jo Beth Gonzalez, high school drama director, $3,876; Mary Kern, high school Model United Nations adviser, $3,280; and Melanie Ferguson, Local Professional Development Committee chairperson, $2,000.
The remaining contracts ranged from $517 to $1,640.
• Approved the mandatory shut down of all athletic, co-curricular and extracurricular activities July 1-9, 2023.
•Approved the purchase of two Blue Bird buses in a net amount of $147,150 from Cardinal Bus Sales & Service Inc.
