Black Tells Board, “We’re a Very Safe School District”

By Alex Malm

After having a moment of silence for victims of the latest school shooting during the beginning of the meeting, the School Board received an update regarding safety upgrades during the April 4 meeting.
“I think what we see internally is anytime another incident happens everyone gets worried,” said Superintendent, Dan Black.
He said he wanted to reiterate how safe the schools are in Londonderry.
“We’re a very safe school district,” said Black.
Black pointed to things like the emergency operations committee, which includes school resource officers as why he feels the district is safe. He also pointed to the second Alice drill taking place.
“We’re in a really good place,” said Black.
The district is currently in the process to make upgrades to the district’s safety infrastructure.
Business Administrator, Lisa McKenney, pointed out that they have three major funding sources right now for the upgrades, which includes a grant and two warrant articles that were approved.
“I thought it was a good time to update the School Board and the public about where we stand,” said McKenney.
McKenney stated that the $560,000 SAFE grant mostly funded the access controls on all the different doors across the district.
“Which means you have to have a badge to get in,” said McKenney.
McKenney noted that the latest article will allow them to complete the interior door locks at all of the schools. Particularly it will pay for the door locks at the high school, middle school, and south school. She added that they would bid out for them and they would come back to the School Board to report out what the bids are when the information comes in.
She told the board they would also be bidding out for the access controls. Unlike the emergency alert buttons, McKenney said the access controls can be done after school throughout the school year.
McKenney said they would also be getting interior door locks as well, which means if there is an emergency, the alert button will be triggered and the doors will automatically lock, taking away the human element.
She said they experience supply chain issues.
“We did experience some significant supply chain issues on the buttons,” McKenney said, noting they are all in now.
It was noted by McKenney they are at Moose Hill already and they would be at the other schools in the summer of 2023. She added that they have to be done when school isn’t in session.
School Board Chair, Bob Slater, asked that there be an update about once a month during the School Board meetings in order to give an update regarding safety in the schools.