Clarion-Limestone School Board Considering Options for School Security

Aly Delp

Aly Delp

Published September 17, 2020 4:45 am
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CLARION TWP., Pa. (EYT) – Issues over school security continued to dominate the conversation at Wednesday evening’s Clarion-Limestone School Board meeting.

Superintendent Amy Glasl announced that the board had received an agreement from the Clarion County Commissioners for school security for their consideration. However, after having the school solicitor look over the agreement, serious concerns over indemnification were raised.

According to Glasl, rather than the shared indemnification in the previous contracts, the newly offered contract would put all responsibility on the district.

“Our solicitor strongly recommended we decline the agreement unless we are willing to assume a significant amount of liability.”

The offer raised the ire of some board members, including board president David Schirmer.

“It seems apparent the commissioners didn’t want this,” Schirmer said. “They stonewalled us on this, and we were polite about it.”

Schirmer also called the pricing structure “astronomically unreasonable.”

“We can’t even talk and work together on this. It’s like all or nothing, and that bothers me.”

The board members then contacted school solicitor Peter J. Halesey by phone to get his opinion directly. He noted that not only was the indemnification changed in the new contract, but the commissioners seemed disinterested in entertaining any discussion of the issue.

“They made it very clear to me they would not agree to anything else,” Halesey said.

None of the board members made any motion to approve the memorandum of understanding with Clarion County and the Clarion County Sheriff for deputy security assistance services.

The discussion then moved to other options for school security.

Glasl said the district has the option of either hiring individual employees, which would require taking on responsibility for everything from training and equipment to uniforms and retirement or going through a security company, which would free the school from handling many of those concerns.

According to Glasl, they have received some information from two security providers, Armstrong Security and Investigations in Kittanning and Right Arm Tactical Investigations and Security in Butler.

Schirmer suggested they continue having qualified guest substitutes while continuing to look into each of the options, then bring proposals for consideration to the next board meeting.

Schirmer also had a few strong words for local voters:

“Before we continue, I want taxpayers in Clarion-Limestone school district to know when they vote for commissioners they should remember this. These are our children, we care about them, okay? And, for them to not work with us on this thing and get this done when we’ve done it for years, and there’s never been an issue, now all of a sudden give us this agreement, it’s a dead-end, we can’t do anything with it, and to not work with us, I think is reprehensible.”

Revised Health and Safety Plan

The board also approved the revised Clarion-Limestone Area School District Phased Reopening Health and Safety Plan, including the Athletics Health and Safety Plan, which will be available on the district website, with one amendment.

The issue of spectators at school sports was first broached by board member Gary Sproul, who initially pushed to open all sports to spectators due to the recent federal judge’s ruling regarding some of the pandemic mitigation orders from the state.

“I think all parents of a child participating have a right to see their child participating,” Sproul said.

“The judge said it (the capacity limit) is unconstitutional, and we should follow suit.”

While several board members said they would also like to see more spectators permitted at sporting events, they urged more caution.

“The governor is going to appeal it, and the PIAA wants to see how it sorts out,” Schirmer said.

“The issue we’re faced with, as I understand it, is the PIAA coming down and taking away opportunities for our students to have opportunities to have other events, and I’m not willing to risk that. So for the time being, I don’t favor aggravating the PIAA people, and I support the plans the AD’s put in place,” board member Nathaniel Parker added.

Board member Kathy Henry recommended moving forward with the Athletic Directors’ current plans for the time being.

“I suggest we support their decision until we have more information.”

It was board member Dave Eggleton who brought forward a motion to add an amendment to the athletics plan, adding a clause to allow for opening athletic events back up if House Bill 2787, which would allow individual schools to decide what happens with sports spectators, passes into law.

“Let’s do this now, so we don’t have to call a special meeting,” Eggleton said.

The motion passed in a unanimous vote, and a following motion to approve the revised Clarion-Limestone Area School District Phased Reopening Health and Safety Plan, including the Athletics Health and Safety Plan, also passed with unanimous support.

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