Peekskill School Officials Juggle Security Needs with Budget Constraints

The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School took place a little less than four months ago, but the implications continue to weigh on school districts everywhere, including Peekskill.

Peekskill school officials are trying to fit the district’s security into next year's budget.

David Santiago, the district’s director of security, gave a presentation in January that outlined $535,451 worth of security improvements—from closed circuit monitoring systems to staffing—that could be implemented.

But James Willis, the superintendent of Peekskill schools, said he believes that the district might be better off delaying those improvements. The district is currently trying to close a budget gap of just over $2 million.

About $318,000 of the $535,451 estimate is for equipment purchases, while the rest is for staff salaries and benefits.

Gregory Sullivan, the district’s superintendent of said the district could get an additional 10 percent in state building aid if the enhancements were wrapped into a capital project.

“My recommendation is that we pull back for a year on the security enhancements,” Willis said during Tuesday’s school board meeting. “I simply don’t believe that we can afford them at this point.”

Willis said he understood the security has been a concern following the Sandy Hook school shooting. But he believes the only way an incident like that can truly be averted is to have armed guards in all of the schools.

“That’s the only way we can stop that from happening..and the school district is not willing to do that,” Willis said. “Our focus is on education.”

Willis said there are other things the district can do to try and beef up security inside its buildings. He said the district could use hall monitors to watch building entrances instead of hiring more security staff, which would cost more.

Board Member Colin Smith said he is concerned that the district will do nothing after hearing all of the community that feedback following Sandy Hook tragedy.

“One of the concerns that I felt was made fairly clear to me—not only by the community members—but by the employees of the district, was that the total lack of security presence in the elementary school was a concern,” Smith said.

Even if the district doesn’t purchase all of the security equipment, Smith said it is important that the district does something to ensure there is a security presence in all of the elementary school buildings.

Willis said the district currently has security and cameras at the elementary schools.

“There is a buzzer, there is camera and those type of things,” Willis said. “It’s not like we have open doors at the elementary schools. That’s not the case.”

Smith suggested that the district scale back its plans to hire a grant writer next year and focus those resources on security. About $108,000 has been budgeted next year for the hiring of a grant writer.

Willis said there are a number of grants available for a variety of area, including security, but the district currently lacks the manpower to apply for those funds.

“That’s why we’re trying to gain more and spend less out of our general fund,” Willis said of the grant writer.

Trustee Tuesday McDonald said the board should speak with Santiago again and get his input before it makes a decision.

“We need to be proactive, not reactive,” McDonald said. “It just makes me very nervous as a board member to let something like this go.”

Michael Simpkins, the board vice president, said district staff members are already being asked to wear too many hats when it comes to security.

“We have a secretary sitting at the front desk and she has to concentrate on her work at the same time while monitoring the door,” Simpkins said. “We need someone who’s just focusing on security and the safety of the buildings. We’re just stretching it a little thing there...technology is good, but it doesn’t take the place of a human body that can react.”

School board President Joseph Urbanowicz said it is also important that the district gets clarification on how much state aid it will receive for the purchase of security equipment.

“The state has already provided an incentive for our enhancements to security equipment,” Urbanowicz said. “I think we need to get a clarification on the on what would be covered. If we’re going to be getting building aid plus 10 percent, that’s roughly 80 percent that we’d be getting back on a number of those expenditures.”

Urbanowicz also said the district needs to appeal to its Congressional representatives to try and get a sense of the federal funding that is available for security improvements.

Willis said he’d invited Santiago to come back to the board and give another report that prioritized the district’s immediate security needs.

The Peekskill school board is scheduled to adopt a budget on April 16. The public budget vote is scheduled for May 21.

The district has established a budget hotline so that the community can share their ideas and input on the 2013-2014 budget. That number is (914) 737-3300, ext. 300.