Additional security measures are in store at Lakeland Union High School in Minocqua, prompted by school board concerns over school-based shootings across the country the past few years.
At Monday’s school board meeting, assistant principal Chad Gauerke outlined several measures designed to keep students and staff safe. The board did not take action on the recommendations, but likely will do so at its next meeting.
“We need to move forward with this,” urged board member Jon Berg, adding that some projects should be done before the start of next school year.
The recommended projects add up to $51,400. The district applied for state funding to offset those costs, but was not included in the first round of safety grants recently announced.
The state awarded some $1.3 million to 20 school districts for building safety improvements, as well as training for faculty and staff, according to a press release from attorney general Brad Schimel’s office.
It’s possible that the district could receive funding in the future. The school’s grant application was for $20,000.
The school already has a secured front entrance that requires anyone entering after the opening of school to show identification before a second set of doors is unlocked. Bulletproof glass protects office staff at that entry point.
LUHS also pays for an armed resource officer from the Minocqua Police Department to be in the school building during the school year.
New measures
The new measures at LUHS range from 20 new security cameras to 16 bollards, which are concrete structures designed to stop or slow down a motor vehicle in high-risk areas. Bollards would be placed in front of the main school entrance and in front of the commons area.
Gauerke suggested that flowers could be planted in the bollards to offset their appearance.
Some of the new cameras would replace older cameras, which have lower resolution. The 20 cameras would cost $18,000. Other recommendations include the purchase of 100 door barricade devices to be installed on the lower part of doors to prevent forced entry.
Another suggestion was for shatter resistance laminate for windows at the front entrance and the commons area. The clear laminate would not stop bullets, but would prevent easy entry by an intruder.
Installing metal detectors has been brought up in the past, but no action taken. Partly because the board is reluctant to turn the high school from a welcoming institution to one that could be viewed as having a “prison-like atmosphere.”
Graduation rates
In other news, Principal Justin Szews reported that the class of 2018 had 169 possible graduates (including seven juniors). Of the seniors, five were dropouts and four had incompletes and not eligible for a high school diploma, for a total of 160 receiving their diplomas. That resulted in a graduation rate of 95 percent (97% last year).
Of the 34 seniors who are Native Americans, four became dropouts. There were no Native Americans with incompletes. An addition three junior students were considered early graduates. With those juniors, the Native American graduation rate was 89 percent (95% last year).
Szews reported that the following grades were given in second semester in the core subjects of social studies, science, math and English for the 2017-18 school year: 763 A’s; 643 B’s; 457 C’s; 275 D’s and 101 F’s.
Summer school
Szews reported 64 students are enrolled in virtual school credit recovery coursework with 16 courses completed to date. Fifteen incoming ninth grade students are working with Tony Borden on the science preparedness course. If successfully completed, these students can vault directly into biology their ninth grade year.
Some 125 courses are available in the Edgenuity virtual classroom account. This includes both credit recovery students and students working to accelerate their coursework at LUHS. Szews noted that the school’s virtual school faculty in collaboration with fellow educators in various departments developed the courses. That ensures the courses are patterned after the school’s regular curriculum.
Personnel
In personnel matters, the board accepted the resignations of the following staff: two hall monitors, special education teacher, mathematics teacher, three part-time hall monitors, head gymnastics coach, assistant volleyball coach, assistant girls tennis coach and assistant football coach.
The board approved hiring two special education teachers and three part-time hall monitors. Berg again said hall monitors should be employed as soon as the school doors open at 6am when the swimming pool is open for the public.
Annual budget hearing, meeting
The board set Oct. 26 for the district’s annual budget hearing, followed immediately by the annual meeting.
