The recent arrest of a man trespassing at Saxe Middle School has focused attention on school security, which Superintendent David Abbey said is an ongoing topic in the town's five school buildings.
"We're always concerned about the security of students, each and every day all year," he said.
The issue has taken center stage in part because of Thursday morning's trespassing incident. Police charged Oleh Shuplat, 24, of Carmel, N.Y., with simple trespass after entering the school just before 7 a.m., before the arrival of students. Police said Shuplat told family members that he had a job at Saxe, but he is actually unemployed.
Abbey said a door at Saxe was open Thursday for faculty members and parents with early appointments to enter. The school will now have staff in front of both entrances a half-hour earlier than previously. "Sometimes, an event occurs that causes you to be more vigilant," Abbey said. "We were not concerned about damage to the school or the children regarding this incident, but you're always concerned."
Saxe and the three elementary schools have buzzer systems to check visitors in during the day. Schools also have video surveillance systems, which helped police identify Shuplat on Thursday.
Saxe Principal Greg Macedo said he received good reviews from parents who were happy with messages sent by the school about the trespassing incident and its resolution.
"We did get positive feedback that we communicated about it and that we took it seriously," Macedo said.
He said parents were not fazed because many of them are accustomed to buzzer entry systems and have seen their children participate in lockdown drills. "This is a generation of parents who ... have raised their kids in a climate of being more secure," he said.
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