The Conewago Valley school board focused on boosting security this month.
On Monday, the board approved hiring a new full-time security guard who will begin on July 22. They also heard a plan on June 3 from Matt Muller, the district’s director of safety and communications, to replace signs across the campus.
The vote to approve the security guard was approved 8-1, with board member April Swope the sole vote against it.
Replacing the signs is another security priority of Muller’s since it was pointed out in the Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Team report completed by the Pennsylvania State Police last year.
Many of the signs across the campuses are faded, bent or unclear. Some are completely illegible.
Muller pointed to the signs as a relatively easy step the district can take in addressing the points from the assessment.
“So we’re trying to make some strides in tackling some of the quick wins, improvements,” Muller told the board on June 3. “Some of that stuff will take a couple of years to accomplish. Some of that can be done very quickly, like this.”
During his presentation, Muller showed the board mock-ups of the various signs he wanted to install, all branded with Colonial colors. He hopes the signs will make things clearer for visitors.
“This will give us the things we’re looking for and that would be the significant safety enhancements, the improved traffic flow, and just a positive school climate, keeping it all branded as to who we are,” Muller said, adding that he may eventually ask the board to consider adding digital signs for real-time updates sometime in the future.
On June 3, Muller said the radio upgrade was long overdue.
The new two-way radios will be distributed to administration, custodians, teachers and other staff members.
The system will bring a “significant change into a better model, better plan” than the district’s current system, according to Muller.
Improved safety features will be one improvement.
“We actually will have, as part of that package, we do have some police radio capabilities, P25s, which will be integrated with the 911 center and (the director,) Mr. (Warren) Bladen, up in Adams County,” Muller said on June 3.
The new radios should also prove to be far more reliable than the current system.
“The biggest feature I can say with the Motorolas here that we’re talking about: We cannot communicate to (Conewago Township Elementary) at all unless we patch it through (transportation coordinator) Bonnie (Little’s) system over there,” Muller said. “They have to hit a button, and it is not reliable in times of crisis or at all, so what this will do is it will allow us to use the towers in Spring Grove – you may have heard of the High Rock towers.”
The campus has several known places on campus that are known for being difficult to reach through the existing radio system. Sometimes buses also lose contact when they travel to particular areas of the county.
Testing shows that the new radios solve all of those problems, according to Muller.
During the meeting on Monday, the board approved the one-time cost of $312,462.05. Monthly fees will also be charged for use of the towers.
Other business
During the regular meeting on Monday, the board approved field placement affiliation agreements with several colleges and universities it has worked with before. The agreements allow the district to work with the schools for field placement or student teacher arrangements.
The board also approved several other points of business, including reapproving Stock and Leader as its legal representation.
Michael Buckley was unanimously approved as the board treasurer.
The board also approved an agreement between the district and the Hanover YMCA for use of the YMCA pool. The agreement will be in effect from Nov. 1, 2024 through Oct. 31, 2025. Board member William Getz made the sole vote against it.
Superintendent Sharon Perry said the school year has been a successful one. She praised the efforts of the staff who had helped achieve that.
“I couldn’t be more grateful for all the work that the Colonial nation has done this year in collaboration with each other,” Perry said. “A lot of heavy lifts occurred this year. I couldn’t be more proud for what we’ve been able to achieve as a community.”
The board will hold a special meeting next month. The board will hold a study session at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 15 and a board meeting will follow at 7:30 p.m.
Imari Scarbrough is a freelance journalist. She was a staff newspaper reporter for five years before becoming a freelancer in 2017. She has written on crime, environmental issues, severe weather events, local and regional government and more.
You can visit her website at ImariJournal.com.