Columbus School Board debates security measures

Jim Rudisill
·3 min read

COLUMBUS JUNCTION — Parents, school staff and board members all agreed during the Columbus School Board meeting on Wednesday that stronger school safety and security measures, including the possibility of establishing a school resource officer position, needed to be considered for the district.

A pair of incidents over the past month involving two former students in the district sparked the recent concerns. One of those incidents involved a 16-year-old male who allegedly broke into the high school on Oct. 17 and caused extensive damage to windows, doors and other items.

Then in early November, that student and a 13-year-old female apparently came on the school grounds and created a disturbance, resulting in the arrest of the male student.

Parents Erika Castellanos and Parnell Davis both spoke to the board Wednesday, during the meeting’s citizen’s comments period and said they were concerned about the recent incidents.

Both suggested it was time for the district to consider establishing a Columbus SRO position.

Superintendent Jeff Maeder assured the two speakers and others in the audience that school security and safety was a primary concern of school officials and that an SRO position was one of several steps being considered.

Based on conversations he had with board members, Maeder said he felt the board also supported creating an SRO position at the school; and that a meeting to discuss that option was scheduled for the following day.

Meanwhile, he also suggested other steps, including additional staff training, updating of the district’s emergency procedures and building entrance modifications were either planned or under consideration.

“We do care very highly about how people feel, not only coming to school, but sending their kids to school. We can do anything else unless people feel safe,” he said.

In other action, the board:

  • Held its annual meeting and re-elected Andy White as board president; and Tom Howell as vice president;

  • Approved requests to the School Budget Review Committee for $170,557 of Modified Allowable Growth and Supplemental Aid for Open Enrollment Out Not on Prior Year’s Count; and $62,269 for Limited English Proficient Beyond Five Years;

  • Agreed to a request from Columbus Music Booster President Vicki Guillaume and secondary music teacher Scott Teater to allow a March trip to Chicago and a 2025 trip to Hawaii. In a separate report, Teater, a first-year teacher in the district, also presented the board with an update on his efforts to revive the secondary school’s music program;

  • Approved several personnel hires and resignations;

  • Received a report from several Columbus FFA chapter members on their recent trip to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis;

  • Approved a 2022-23 Memo of Agreement with Easter Iowa Community College for college credit courses for high school students;

  • Approved the early graduation of three students, pending completion of required work;

  • Approved a work experience release program for qualifying students;

  • Approved separate 28E agreements with Winfield-Mt. Union for sharing boys and girls soccer and boys and girls wrestling;

  • Approved the district’s CTE (Career and Technical Education) Advisory Committee membership.

In final action, the board returned to its earlier discussion on school safety and security and agreed to hold an all-day teacher in-service on Jan. 13. There will be no school for students that day, with the focus of the in-service on emergency and safety procedures.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Columbus schools to add security following a break-in an a disturbance