44°
In an interview with The Cortlandt Daily Voice, Interim Superintendent Brian Monahan said he intends to propose hiring an unarmed, after-school security guard at Hendrick Hudson High School, and is looking at several other "enhancements."
"I will be making a series of recommendations to the Board of Education over the next month or so for enhancements to our security," Monahan said.
Measures under consideration, said Monahan, are additional security personnel, additional security cameras, panic buttons and heightened ability to contact 9-1-1, additional locks on doors, additional key card access points and darkened or shatterproof glass in windows.
Monahan said an after-school security guard at Hendrick Hudson High School could be implemented before the school year's out. The security guard would not be a school resource officer (SRO) or police officer. Monahan said he's hoping the state will supply funding for SRO's this year, but without help from Albany Monahan said Hen Hud can't afford an SRO.
Monahan said the proposals were developed after discussing security measures at two meetings with district parents. He called the meetings "emotional."
"Comments have really run the gamut from, 'This is Hendrick Hudson, things are safe here,' to the other extreme where some people would like an armed guard at every school. What I said to the parents is I'll be bringing fourth some recommendations, and I guarantee nobody will agree with all of them," said Monahan.
A dollar figure was not attached to the enhancements, although Monahan said a security guard could likely be paid for out of the 2012-2013 budget.
The next Hendrick Hudson Board of Education meeting is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Cortlandt and receive free news updates.
