Andrew Rothman
Member
For those who may have forgotten, 16-year old Jeffrey Weise killed his policeman grandpa and grandpa's girlfriend, stole grandpa's police guns, drove grandpa's police truck to his high school, killed the unarmed security guard manning the metal detector, then went in and killed seven more people.
Of course, it'd be better if they let staff and visitors with carry permits carry on school grounds, but I guess this is better than nothing.
Of course, it'd be better if they let staff and visitors with carry permits carry on school grounds, but I guess this is better than nothing.
New security measures in Red Lake schools after shootings
Chuck Haga, Star Tribune
August 4, 2005
RED LAKE, Minn. - Students returning to school here next month will find several new security measures in place, including an armed security guard at the high school and another at the nearby middle school.
As a youth festival enlivened the reservation this week, the Red Lake School Board met in closed session Tuesday with a delegation of teachers to respond to their concerns about security at the high school when it opens Sept. 1.
Some teachers had said earlier this summer that they would not return if security wasn't enhanced to their liking, and they had urged district officials to consider a later start date. There also were concerns about the numbers of students who might stay away from the site of the March 21 shootings, the nation's second deadliest, in which a student killed five classmates, a teacher and a[n unarmed -Matt] security guard before he was killed by police.
Superintendent Stuart Desjarlait said Wednesday that the five teachers who attended Tuesday's closed meeting "were quite happy with what was done," and that school will start on time.
"The board ranked things that we feel need to be done," he said. "Teachers know we can't do everything right away."
The district will arrange for the armed guards through the tribal Public Safety Department, he said.
Patty Stomberg, a special education teacher who attended the board meeting, said she was reassured to learn that the armed guards will be in place. She said a system of automatic door locks and "swipe cards" also will be installed.
"We are communicating with the board and making progress," she said. "We did have a really good meeting" Tuesday.
Desjarlait said his recommendations were based on advice from the tribal council, the FBI, tribal law enforcement, teachers and other community members.
Representatives of the National School Safety Center and security experts working for the district also appeared before the board, reviewing security at the high school before the shootings and steps taken or planned since, including additional training required for all district security guards.
The board later approved most of the recommendations, Desjarlait said, including installation of a new intercom system and an updated phone system.
Board members decided against ordering additional metal detectors, instead directing the superintendent to meet with architects to determine how many door locks the district needs.
Desjarlait said Wednesday that only three teachers have resigned. Two retired, and the third "had told me years ago that if a job opened up in her home town she'd take it, and that's what happened." All three have been replaced.
Desjarlait said school officials will make home visits this month "to all the students who had a hard time returning to classes after the shootings last spring," encouraging them either to enroll at Red Lake this fall or take advantage of loosened open-enrollment opportunities at area school districts.
Classes were suspended for three weeks after the shootings, then limited to half days until the end of the school year. About 90 students didn't return, a third of the high school enrollment.
Desjarlait said he'd like to see all Red Lake students return, but enrollment this fall "probably [will be] around 250."
The normal cutoff date for a Red Lake student choosing open enrollment at another school was Jan. 1, but area schools have agreed to lift that.
"I've met with superintendents at the surrounding schools, and they're willing to provide a window of opportunity for Red Lake students to apply," Desjarlait said. "We'll have open enrollment papers with us when we visit the students at home."
Enrolling on homebound status is another option, "but that will require documentation [of need] by a mental health worker and there has to be a schedule," he said. "They can't just say, 'I want to go on homebound.'"
Jeffrey Weise, the student who committed the attacks at the school after killing his grandfather and the man's companion, was on homebound status at the time, according to school officials.
The Red Lake district will take truancy action against students who stay away from school altogether this fall, Desjarlait said.
"If they need help, we'll get them help," he said. "But we're serious about getting them back to school next month."
Chuck Haga is at [email protected].
