Jan 3, 2013 2 min read

A few Trinity Area School District parents responded to a letter published about school security issues, and the superintendent addressed school safety measures at Thursday’s school board meeting.

In a recent letter to the editor, school board director Sandra Clutter wrote that Trinity High School “is not a secure building” and that a zero-tolerance policy regarding weapons was ignored last month when a Trinity East Elementary School student allegedly brought a steak knife to school.

Superintendent Paul Kasunich handed out a copy of safeguards that have long been in place throughout the elementary schools, middle school and high school, including more than 170 cameras, a buzzer system with an intercom at every front door and portable gates.

The handout also addressed other security measures the school district has been working on for months.

In November, Trinity entered into a program with U.S. Life Safety, which provides local emergency services and first responders with information on all district school buildings, floor plans, schematics and student and staff information.

Also, administrators have created a crisis flip chart and are slated to meet with first responders later this month to review a draft of the chart. Once the draft is approved, flip charts will be placed on every desk in the school district. The flip chart is scheduled to be distributed around March 15.

The school district also scheduled a safety audit at the high school that will be conducted today by Bulldog Security of Pittsburgh, and the company will provide written recommendations.

Additional cameras will be installed at the schools to make sure the offices and other doors are covered.

Some residents criticized Clutter for her letter during the public participation portion of the meeting, but Clutter said her letter “accomplished exactly what I wanted to accomplish” and that she has received positive responses.

“They will have to look at security at this school,” she said.

Also, the parents of a Trinity East student told the school board that children and parents at the school believe that a fourth-grader “got away” with bringing a weapon to school recently, without any consequences or disciplinary action.

Administrators declined to discuss the knife incident, other than to say the issue was handled.