Deer Park Schools Unveil New Visitor Policy

The Deer Park School District is enforcing a new visitation policy after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.

The policy states that residents must call ahead to inform the school of their visit and reason for coming. Upon arrival, visitors must show their identification, which will be verified by district staff. Once signed in, visitors will be given an identification number to obtain a pass. Visitors must then sign out when leaving.

All morning and afternoon drop offs and pickups of walkers will continue in the established location at each school.

"We’re doing the best we can to have the schools remain a place where the kids feel safe and anything that we can do to not instill fear in children is the right thing to do," Superintendent Eva Demyen said at a board of education meeting Tuesday at the high school.

Demyen said that representatives from the First Precinct of the Suffolk County Police Department will be visiting each school to review the security in place and making suggestions to improve the safety of the students and staff.

She also said that additional trainings and drills, including evacuation and sheltering, are being scheduled throughout the remainder of the school year.

While, the district is revamping its security measures, parents are expressing concern over their children's safety.

Frank Spingola, whose son attends John Quincy Adams Elementary, said he entered the building twice, once Friday afternoon to, the day of the Connecticut shooting to pick up his son, and again Monday morning to pick him up. He said that he was not asked for identification at either time.

"I was buzzed into the building without any ID both times. I just didn't like that there wasn't any security at the front gate or anything," Spingola said.

He asked the board to sit down with other concerned parents to dicuss new ideas for school security.