North Penn Coordinating Council, Inc.
Minutes – March 19, 2014
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SPEAKER: Mr. Ray Wilson, Safe Schools/Security Coordinator for NPSD
Ray Wilson spoke with the Coordinating Council members in attendance about the district’s
programs and plans for student and staff safety. He began by highlighting his extensive
background in local law enforcement. Mr. Wilson is a retired police officer, retiring from the
Hatfield Police Department after thirty-one years in 2006. He was also a member of the North
Penn Tactical Response team for 18 years, acting as the Assistant Commander of the team for
five years. At the time of his retirement, the NPTR team had just started training for intruder
drills in schools. He became the NPSD Safe Schools/Security Coordinator, a newly created
position in the district to increase school safety programs and measures.
Safety highlights presented by Mr. Wilson:
- established a liason between the six police departments serving in the North Penn School
District;
- training of staff/students/substitutes in Safe Schools policies and procedures;
- latest training/drills include in-school shooter scenario; drill performed in March at
Pennbrook was very successful and students and staff performed impressively;
- Head of Security for the district, based at the high school. 75% of the district’s security team
is made up of retired police officers;
- A School Police Officer can make an arrest on school property, but they don’t do it often.
Towamencin PD handles arrests at the high school, allowing the township officers to follow-up
on cases;
- established an Internet Safety Program/Training within the district; conducts 1 hour
presentations to 4th/5th/6th grade parents at schools, bringing in a local police officer;
- 80% of the safety situations at the high school involve social media (texting, Facebook, etc.)
that escalate drama/problems;
- serves as Chairman of the Worker Safety Committee – got a reduction on insurance for
having monthly meeting, publishes articles in Insider Information regarding worker safety;
- RAPTOR system is established at all schools (in 2006, it was only at the high school);
- produced a “RED EMERGENCY BINDER” with procedures for every safety situation, and
updated to reflect new laws and new situations;
- currently working on a unified emergency plan for the whole district, which must also be
unique for each school;
- SWIPE cards for staff/teachers to enter the buildings;
- buzzer systems are in place at each school;
- NIMS (National Incident Management Systems) – administrators are required to be trained in
last year;
- secured a grant for walkie-talkies at all schools – base unit plus some walkie talkies at each
schools. Principals and H&S are buying more walkie talkies for their schools as funding is
available (cost is $350 per walkie talkie. Contact Ray Wilson or Chris Doerre for purchasing).
Monthly tests are conducted at each school.
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Mr. Wilson opened the floor for questions, providing answers and making notes for follow-up:
- What is being done to protect school grounds?
It is difficult without high fences and armed guards. Training is provided to staff about how to
handle certain situations; alert whistles are provided to staff for use when outside. The
district plans to conduct more trainings with “reverse lockouts” when students are at recess
while an intruder is in the school.
The district has started the fence project at the high school, fencing in some courtyards and
the back of the building to secure weaker areas of the building. This will allow students to
flow more freely between buildings as they travel to classes. Fences will have push-bar exits.
Since 2006, the district has worked to strengthen its relationships with local police
departments, and increase the presence of local police officers in the schools. Upper
Gwynedd and Hatfield police departments require that their officers be in schools each day as
part of their rounds. Officers in each department are encouraged to be visible at schools by
writing reports in their car at campuses, in addition to school walk-throughs. Some schools
have donuts and cookies for their officers, which are welcome! :-)
- What are the safety plans in place for Election Day? We have concerns about doors being
open all day, allowing disgruntled parents open access to the school.
Meetings are taking place between Mr. Wilson, John Strobel (director of NPSD facilities),
school board members, and building administrators, as well as meetings with county election
officials. The priority is student safety on that day. Building principals have submitted
suggested plans for voter access; the district is reviewing those plans. As much as possible,
voter access will be limited to just one door, and closed off from the rest of the school. The
law states that police officers may not patrol at elections. However, the district safety plan
does include having all security and substitute security officers working that day, as well as
using local constables and trained custodial staff. They will be able to have security at each
school most of the time. Parents will be updated of security plans in place via email blasts.
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- What kind of security monitors are in place in the district?
Modern cameras are better at catching things at schools; adding high-definition cameras
allows good facial recognition. There is a security officer at the high school monitoring
cameras 24/7. The district has doubled its cameras at schools.
At Penndale, all inside cameras are installed. As the weather warms up, outside cameras will
be installed. Pennfield and Pennbrook installations will follow.
Big screen monitors will be installed at the elementary schools for office staff to monitor
security cameras.
Any staff member can call an intruder lockdown.
- Can you speak about Megan’s Law and the district’s responsibilities?
The law states that a registered sex offender cannot be denied access to their child. A
principal or security officer must escort that parent to any building meetings.
The state is required to notify local school districts of violent predators moving into the
district.
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There is no restriction as to where offenders may live.
When the school district is notified about a sex offender or violent offender moving into the
district, the district alerts the building principals in the area. It is up to principal’s discretion
about disseminating that information.
--> It was noted by a parent that recently a violent sex offender has moved into their
school’s neighborhood, along the path of many of the school’s walkers. Families were alerted
to this situation by the local church; no information was provided by their building principal
or the district. The parents at this school are upset by this lack of notification, and would
like the district to address this issue in the future. It was suggested at the meeting by
parents in attendance that principals might need more guidance and direction in this area,
preferably guidance that would encourage principals to inform families of registered
offenders moving into the area. The issue of protocols for notifying families of suspicious
circumstances/persons was also raised, with the suspicious van incident at Nash and the
stranger's approach of a Gwynedd Square student in the fall being mentioned.
Mr. Wilson responded by saying he would look into the notification protocols for building
principals with regards to notifying parents of offenders/suspicious persons and situations at
schools.
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For more information about Safe Schools at North Penn, see the district website. Lots of
really good information and links! http://www.npenn.org/page/954
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COORDINATING COUNCIL BUSINESS:
Representatives from 13 parent groups were in attendance. Representatives were absent from
the following home and school associations and parent groups: Bridle Path, Gwynedd Square,
Oak Park, Walton Farm, York, North Penn Music Aides, North Penn Wrestling Parents, and
SWAAG.
1. Approval of February Minutes: Minutes were approved, with a change to page 2, under Old
Business:
“Essentially, anybody with a board must have is recommended to have its own policy. A district
representative from Specht Insurance Group will be at the April CC meeting to speak about what is
covered under the district insurance policy, and will offer a quote for supplemental coverage for home
& schools/parent groups.”
2. Treasurer’s Report: The CC treasurer was not in attendance; treasurer’s report will follow.
3. Correspondence: Correspondence included a packet of information from Specht Insurance
in preparation for April’s meeting.
4. Old Business - Nominating Committee: Aimee Heavener is the non-board committee
member; Becky Ellstrom is the board committee member.
5. New Business: WE NEED BOARD MEMBERS. Three of the CC board members are stepping
down, leaving openings for President, Recording Secretary, and Correspondence Secretary.
Current board members are following up on some potential volunteers. CC representatives
were asked to encourage their members to volunteer for the board.
6. Level Reports:
- Pennbrook parents were notified ahead of time of the Intruder Drill mentioned by Mr.
Wilson.
- Gwyn-Nor had a successful “Beef & Beer” fundraising night at Marjeane’s in Lansdale.
Popular auction items were Upper Gwynedd Police Department’s “ride along” with a police
officer to Dunkin Donuts and to school, an art lesson with the art teacher, pizza and a movie
with a teacher after school for four students. Gwyn-Nor’s team was able to secure many
donations from local businesses to facilitate the event.
7. Ideas, Concerns, Comments, and Announcements:
- The Nominating Committee needs board members. Nominations will be presented at the
April meeting, and voting will take place in May.
- IRS/Coordinating Council/NPSD/County requirements for conducting any game of chance
(raffles, etc.) was discussed. In order to maintain our group tax exempt status, all
Coordinating Council subordinates must follow IRS restrictions and limitations on charitable
gaming (including raffles): no bingo games for profit are allowed, and charitable gaming
income is limited to no more than 5% of the subordinate’s gross yearly income. The need for
charitable gaming income guideline clarifications was discussed. These will be clarified and
updated, and will be posted to the website as well as distributed to council reps and board
presidents.
- Kulp is using PTO Manager instead of MJS Software. Several schools had difficulty with MJS’s
directory this year, and will not be continuing with MJS Software in 2014-15.
- Many home and school associations and parent group revised/updated their by-laws in 2012.
They are required to be revised/updated, and presented to association members for approval
every two years; it is time for those updated and *signed* by-laws to be submitted to
Coordinating Council.
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NEXT MEETING: April 16, 2014
7-9pm ESC
SCHEDULED SPEAKER:
Nicole L. Graham, CISR
Vice President, Marketing/Underwriting
Specht Insurance Group, Ltd.
Ms. Specht will discuss what insurance coverage is available under the
district’s plan, and will suggest additional coverage parent groups
should consider adding.
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