WBCH provides this space to superintendents of area schools to highlight activities in their districts. This post is from Superintend Carrie Duits of the Hastings Area School System.

 

“Our hearts break for the family, friends, students, and community impacted by the recent

tragedy in Florida. The wounds of all those in our country who have suffered such violent acts in

the past have opened once again; we are a nation in mourning. All of us are seeking answers to school violence and finding new ways to protect our students.

 

Hastings Area School System works hard to provide safeguards for our students and staff. We are very grateful to the community for passing the 2015 bond that has allowed us to install several improvements and provide additional security in our schools.

Our architects presented us with school security research as we started designing our new

Middle School addition.

 

A critical feature has been the addition of our secure entrances. Visitors are channeled, through a secured, single point of entry. New windows have provided office staff with a clear visual of anyone entering or exiting the schools. In addition to increased visibility, the entrances are equipped with an intercom and a camera to enable communication between secretaries and visitors prior to allowing visitors access to the building.

 

Our secure entrances are a beginning, but only one step in the measures we are taking to

better protect our students. We also added lockdown “boots” throughout each building. As we

complete newly remodeled areas, we will assess our buildings again for additional lockdown

boots.

 

We are also adding more cameras at the secondary level, and our fire alarm system has

been, completely replaced and upgraded. Throughout the year students and staff participate in a variety of drills to ensure we are prepared, in the event of an emergency. The Hastings Area School System partners with the Hastings Police Department for drills and security. Please know that we continue to work hard in our efforts to keep our buildings safe and secure for the students of Hastings.

 

On March 8, 2018, Hastings Area Schools will hold a community forum to gather input on

making our schools more safe and secure. Several needs have been determined, by the Board

of Education Property and Finance Committees.

 

The meeting is open to the public and will be held at 6:30 pm at the Hastings Middle School. To begin, community members will be invited to view areas of the new Middle School addition and then provide input for next steps in making our district safer and more secure for all.”