The new protocols suggested by Superintendent Bilodeau include strobe lights and vestibules throughout all 11 schools.
At its latest meeting, the Gloucester Township Public Schools Board of Education considered new security measures for the district that were presented by Superintendent John Bilodeau.
In light of yet another mass shooting that unfolded in Texas on May 18, leaving 10 killed, according to reports, Bilodeau encouraged the board to improve security management throughout all 11 of its elementary and middle schools.
Bilodeau says there have been continuing school security committee meetings over the past few months, which started after February’s Parkland shooting.
“Only on the advent of a massacre do we get together and talk about security,” he said. “And I think that, moving forward, we should have a continuing security committee.”
The committee, which included insight from the Gloucester Township Education Association, had discussed several measures, but Bilodeau says they’ve narrowed it to measures most “prudent” to the Gloucester Township district.
His suggestions include building upon current systems, as well as implementing new procedures.
Last year, the district installed a new phone system, which gives every teacher in a classroom their own telephone. According to Bilodeau, the district is considering an upgrade to the system, which would particularly satisfy lockdown drills.
“We trust our staff to alarm us if something is incorrect,” he said.
In the event of an emergency or any other suspicious activity, every teacher with a classroom phone would have the ability to put the entire school on lockdown with one call.
The phone system upgrade would also include visual enhancements, particularly strobe lights that would flash during lockdown drills. The idea behind the strobe lights stems from clamorous lunch periods throughout the schools which often lead to inaudible messages over the PA system.
“A lot of the security items are common sense,” Bilodeau said.
Aside from the potential phone system enhancement, the district is contemplating installing vestibules in all of its buildings. According to Bilodeau, the majority of visitors throughout the school day include parents who are either picking up their children or dropping items off.
If vestibules are installed, parents in these situations will not even enter the building, as they’d be buzzed into the foyer to meet their children or drop off items.
“I want the best type of systems in place, but I certainly need everyone’s commitment,” Bilodeau said.
During its April meeting, the board passed a resolution renewing its three-year contract for school resource officers with the Gloucester Township Police Department. The renewed shared services agreement with the township funds three SROs. At that meeting, the contract received two “no” votes from board members Jennifer O’Donnell and MaryAnn Johnson, as the agreement does not seem entirely beneficial to some members of the district and public, especially considering the recent school shootings this year.
The agreement costs the district about $300,000 per year. The contract hires three GTPD SROs, plus a drug-enforcement officer, designated to the 11 schools throughout the Gloucester Township elementary and middle schools.
The SRO contract, which starts in July and ends in June 2021, funds officers who are primarily based at the middle schools but must also patrol the elementary schools. However, as stated in the contract, these officers can go to other schools outside of the district, but other law enforcement must cover in their absences.
With two of the three officers assigned to four schools each and one officer assigned to three, there’s a 75 percent or 66 percent chance that if there was an active shooter in one building, the officer would not been present, according to Johnson.
In deciding which security measures will be most suitable for the district, Bilodeau asked for the continuous support of the school board, education association and the rest of the school community.
“I would imagine we should continue to pray for all those people this year in all of these states that have had these horrific things, and try to make sure, at least in our neck of the woods, we’re ready for it,” he said. “Pray to God it never happens here.”
