Superintendent Wade says safety is always a priority
By ANDREW POTTER, TIMES-REPUBLICANThe recent lock down at Marshalltown High School may have many community members wondering just how safe the schools are in Marshalltown.
Marshalltown Community School District Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade said school safety is and will be a priority.
"Maintaining a safe school climate remains a high priority in the district," he said. "We want to make school safe with minimal inconvenience to students, staff and visitors."
The challenging aspect is knowing where to draw the line and how much is too much security.
"You try to have a balance of it being safe and not like a jail," Wade said.
At the high school there is a new Behavior Task Force made up of administrators. The focus of this task force is to create a positive environment at the school.
At the same time Wade said high school administrators are taking it to heart when rumors of an unsafe school are floating around the community.
"They have really taken exception to the fact that people think their school is not safe," he said. "They are confronting kids on their behavior."
Wade said if someone does not feel safe it is hard to learn which is why the focus on safety has been stepped up.
"Our goal is to spend 100 percent of our time in the classroom on teaching and not dealing with behavior," he said.
In the future Wade hinted at more surveillance cameras at the schools and even the possibility of metal detectors.
He said the fears from community members and parents could be alleviated if they would visit the schools and see they are safe. It is his goal to have events that get more community members into the schools.
"We want to get people involved to see the schools are safe," he said.
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Contact Andrew Potter at 641-753-6611 or apotter@timesrepublican.com
