Parents and staff express thoughts of school safety in wake of threat

Following the regular Havre Public School Board meeting, Superintendent Andy Carlson addressed questions and comments from parents and staff in attendance Tuesday night about security at the Havre schools.

The questions came in wake of threatening graffiti being found Monday at Havre High School that led to the school being closed Tuesday and a closed campus implemented when it re-opened this morning.

Havre Public Schools listed security measures in a post on its website at https://www.blueponyk12.com Tuesday when it announced school would be held today at the high school.

The first question at Tuesday's meeting came from Sharon Dolph about an outside activity, the "Visions of Sugar Plums" concert by Montana State University-Northern Community Orchestra and the Studio of Dance and Arts scheduled for Thursday in the high school auditorium.

"Obviously, there's a situation at the school," Dolph said. "We don't know what to do. We moved all our stuff over there last night. ... We have several groups trying to figure this out. So we would like to know how to move forward with this situation."

Carlson said all other activities outside of Havre High School activities are canceled. He added that Assistant Superintendent Craig Mueller was working with an unnamed representative from Northern about retrieving the equipment that has been moved to Havre High already.

"This isn't what we wanted," Carlson said. "We got to get some kind of idea of just who's in there and who's not in there."

Carlson added he would be willing to reschedule the event or even help with finding a new venue.

The Community Orchestra announced this morning that the concert was moved to Northern's Student Union Building Thursday at 7 p.m.

Craig Gardener asked about the security that would be provided for students who are outside the school waiting to go in through the bag and coat check areas.

"As they're gathering outside the building waiting to get in, that makes them a target just as much as being inside the school does," Gardener said.

Officer Brian Cassidy of the Havre Police Department, who was there to assist with any questions or concerns, said he "literally spent the last three hours" coming up with several plans for that kind of scenario.

"If you're hardening that target, what are you doing to harden the rest of the targets," Gardener said. "If I'm a deranged person and I'm deranged enough to pull off some stupid thing like that, then I'm going to go to the next soft target - wherever that's at - and I'm going to try and make my move there."

"the Havre Police Department only has so many resources," Cassidy said, "but I can tell you right now, we are dedicating all of them to the safety of our schools."

Multiple Havre Police Department vehicles and officers were at the school this morning as students entered the building.

Carlson added during Tuesday's meeting that other law enforcement agencies are looking out for the schools as well.

"I find out afterwards that the Border Patrol, I find out afterwards that some of the other folks, FBI, we don't even know they're doing it, but they're taking care of us," he said. "The sheriff's department, I know they've been a part of it. We got to do our part, and one of the things that we really try to do is allow our law enforcement to do their part."

Heather McLain said she appreciated what law enforcement and Havre Public Schools have done to keep students safe. She added that her daughter was in Havre Middle School when it had to be evacuated in March after a threat was discovered there. She asked if there was a long-term plan in place once this situation dies down.

Carlson said the question was difficult to answer with anything satisfactory for the attendees. He added that there was a strong possibility that something like this could happen again because that is the nature of the world right now.

"One of the toughest questions is ... 'Are you the only ones dealing with this?'" he added. "No. We're not."

Threats have been made at schools this fall in Libby and Butte, news agencies report.

Carlson said every school in Havre has a plan in place to deal with these types of events and his hope is that in the future, they can make these plans effective enough to be comfortable enough to bring the staff and students to school the next day.

Mueller said that when he met with teachers at Havre High Tuesday, they discussed how to move forward ,as well.

"Do they feel connected? Is there an adult that they can voice their concerns to? If not, how can we start to help them understand that if they're seeing things and they're telling us, we're going to do something about it," he said. "I think that's a good step for moving forward for the rest of this school year."

Carlson said it's frustrating not being able to run the school the way it's supposed to be run.

"You're preying on people's fears," he added.

He said it's hard to explain to the group that was before him Tuesday and it will be harder to try and explain it to a group of 500 students.

"Maybe 200 kids. I don't know. I don't know who's going to show up tomorrow. I hope we have a majority of our kids," Carlson added. "But I get it when parents say to us, 'Look, I'm keeping my kid at home today.' I get that perspective."

Sunnyside Intermediate School fifth-grade teacher Carrie Gillen said they need a full-time counselor at her school. She said she has an open-door policy with her students but she is not a counselor and can only do so much. When someone becomes a teacher, she added, they also become responsible for that student's mental and emotional health.

"To think that a former student might go in to my building or my child's building or in to the administration office and do something awful and to think, 'That was my kid, my student. I could have done something, but I didn't know what to do,' is horrifying," she said. "I know all of the teachers feel this way."

She said that prevention is the key and asked if there was a plan to get a counselor at Sunnyside.

A job posting for a counselor has been up for some time, Carlson said. He added that when he finds a qualified applicant they'll do what they can to keep them here. He said it's hard to believe there's a counselor shortage in the area.

Gillen suggested having some mental health clinics for parents to attend to get information. She added it would be helpful even to her.

"I have a 15-year-old daughter, and they are a breed all their own, and sometimes I don't know whether to hug her or to slap her," she said to light laughter from the audience.

Gardener added that he also believes these issues go back to the household and that parents need to be more involved and they need to find a way to get parents more involved.

"We've got 500 students at Havre High School and we've got a dozen parents here tonight," he said. "To me, if parents are not involved enough, we need to figure out how to do that."

Tim Nixdorph asked about the level of concern at the other schools and what information is being given to students.

Carlson said that all of the schools are on a lockdown the rest of this week and an increased police presence will be in place. He added that the district is monitoring schools much more closely than they have been.

Nixdorph also added that the Havre staff is doing a great job at handling everything throughout the week.

Steve Neiffer asked about cameras on schools. Carlson said cameras are in place including outside the bathrooms.

Gardener said janitors should make bathroom checks every hour as a way of narrowing down a time frame to identify who's been in and out of the bathroom.

Carlson said he is working on something like that, but there is more to it.

Darla Welch asked about safety on the playgrounds.

Carlson said this question came up at the first safety forum and that they have considered safety on the playgrounds. He added that discussions about playground safety showed that they are chaotic and not ideal for someone looking to do something malicious.

Carlson clarified the lockdown procedures for the rest of the week and said that parents will have to physically be present to readmit their kids for the remainder of the week.

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When it announced in a post on its website Tuesday that school would resume today at Havre High School, Havre Public Schools listed the following security measures that are in place:

• Increased law enforcement will be present in and around the high school.

• Student are only allowed to enter through the high school's west door from 7:30 to 8:15 a.m.

• All backpacks, bags and coats will be searched by HPS staff as students enter.

• The school will have a closed campus from 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. until further notice.  This means all students will remain on campus for lunch and not be allowed to leave.

• Students showing up late to school will need to have a parent or guardian's escort to the north doors by the library and main office for entrance.

• Students needing to leave for an appointment will be escorted to the door and will need to have a parent or guardian escort them back to the school for re-entry.

• Between 8:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. all exiting and entering will take place through the north door. 

• A special schedule will be in place until further notice.

• All clubs and activities are canceled for today.