PAGE A4 • THE VILLAGE BEACON RECORD • MARCH 08, 2018
EDUCATION
Miller Place parents concerned about armed guards KEVIN REDDING
BY KEVIN REDDING KEVIN@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM
On Monday, Feb. 26, one armed guard stood outside each of the four schools in the Miller Place school district, sparking controversy within the district. The decision to station retired NYPD officers armed with pistols outside Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School, Andrew Muller Primary School, North Country Road Middle School and Miller Place High School was made the preceding Sunday evening, and an email about the decision was sent out around 9 p.m. stating temporary “increased security measures” would be in place. Some residents praised the district for taking quick, drastic action in the wake of the Parkland, Florida, shooting that left 17 students and faculty members dead Feb. 14. Others raised concerns that the school’s decision was unnecessary and dangerous, sharing their feelings at a board of Miller Place school district parents and students gathered inside the high school library Feb. 28, above, to voice concerns and support education meeting Feb. 28. “Adding armed guards to our schools for allowing armed guards outside schools in the district. Parent Amber Buscemi, below, talks to the board about her feelings on guns. is not a solution to the problem of school shootings,” said Nina Thompson, the par- other board of education members spent the ent of a fifth-grader and a kindergarten break in constant communication. They ulstudent in the district, who pleaded with timately met in person at the Administration the board not to make this a permanent building at 4 p.m. Sunday to gather inforimplementation. “The school in Florida had mation accumulated in the previous week, one, but it didn’t prevent or minimize dev- evaluate the concerns coming from students and faculty members and astation. Kids should not weigh their options. After have to grow up with guns meticulously reviewing in school. Period.” the pros and cons of each But Lou Gallo, a retired security suggestion, from teacher in Longwood, said installing metal detectors in the immediate sense, in each building to enforcarmed security is crucial. ing strict bans on parent “We have to get rid of drop-offs and pickups, the this notion that our lovely conversation ultimately led little schools are fuzzy, to armed guards. wuzzy wonderlands, “We know that we fit because they’re not the perfect active shooter anymore — we have to profile as an upper-middleraise our consciousness to class, basically white, com- suspect in Parkland’s massacre. “It is illogical. the extent that our school munity that doesn’t think And, now, you have hired an armed officer to is now a potential killing •The district’s mental health program it’s going to happen here be suspicious of all students who attend our ground,” he told the board. is ongoing, has long been embedded in — that makes us a target,” schools as they look for potential shooters. … “The criminal mind preys its character-education program and is Cartisano said. “Questions It’s an unnecessary risk.” on defenselessness, weakconstantly evaluated. There are seven Sound Beach resident and Miller Place kept coming up — are we ness and vulnerability.” guidance counselors, four social workers, doing enough? There was graduate Patrick O’Hanlon said he doesn’t Superintendent Marithree behavior counselors and two dean a real community fear that believe the armed guards would be effecanne Cartisano explained of students across the schools. tive against an active shooter. we were feeling.” to residents during the •The district is staffed with seven “I don’t believe any of you should allow Cartisano said, in total meeting that the board’s asfull-time unarmed guards, seven this week, the guards cost someone with a gun in here,” he said. signment of armed security part-time; they monitor the security the district $5,750, and, “They’re not going to protect your children was done so urgently to envestibules across the district and children moving forward with with a pistol in the lobby.” sure that all precautionary on the playground during recess. Despite admitting he was not a gun enhanced security, the new measures were being taken. — Marianne Cartisano •All district visitors must enter hires will not financially advocate, Pete Conelli said he was in “I just don’t want it to be through security vestibules. affect any athletic or extra- support of the armed guards. For him, he me,” an emotional Cartisa•All staff members have personalized no told the residents packed inside the high curricular program, educational course or explained, the Parkland tragedy wasn’t key cards and must be equipped with just a story in the news. His wife’s closest school library. “I am responsible for 2,800 faculty and custodial staff members. photo identification. “The purpose of this was to reduce friend lives in the Florida town, and her son children and nearly 500 staff members ev•Security films are installed on ery single day, and you, as parents, have crisis response time and open up the is a freshman at the high school where the windows to deter attackers from gaining reasonable expectations of me. You send conversation with law enforcement,” the shooting occurred. access to a building by shooting through “He’s going to live with the mental scar for me your children in the morning and you superintendent said. glass, buying students, teachers and Roughly a dozen residents made their the rest of his life,” Conelli said, recounting expect me to send them home to you in the staff more time to escape in the process. the student sending his parents “I love you” afternoon. There are 14 parents in Florida voices heard at the meeting. •Frequent safety procedures “There is no evidence that an armed texts from underneath a desk in a classroom right now that don’t have that expectation. throughout the year include fire, lockAnd I can’t tell you how much that nause- guard with a handgun will, or even can, stop while the shooter was in the hallway. “I’ve down and off-campus evacuation drills. a shooter with an AR-15,” said Miller Place read a lot of school shooting statistics and ates me, saddens me and frightens me.” •Unannounced sweeps happen at The Florida shooting occurred just days mother Amber Buscemi, referring to the style one I read reported that 18 percent of shootthe high school using K-9 dogs that are before the school district closed for its mid- of assault rifle that has become the weapon of ers are shot by police … and I’ll give my kid trained to identify drugs and weapons. winter recess, and Cartisano said she and choice of mass shooters, including the alleged the extra 18 percent any day of the year.”
Security prep and protocols
‘You send me your children in the morning and you expect me to send them home to you in the afternoon.’