Police officers checked in at two Tacoma schools Monday, while Puyallup educators tried to answer parents’ questions about school security and Bethel school officials were reviewing safety measures.
But for the most part, Pierce County’s three largest school districts tried to maintain a sense of normalcy in the wake of Friday’s elementary school massacre in Connecticut.
At Meeker Middle School in Northeast Tacoma, a parent told police about a threatening text message her child had received, Tacoma schools spokesman Dan Voelpel said. He said Tacoma Police determined that the threat originated out of state and did not represent an immediate threat to students here. Still, a police officer was on the Meeker campus Monday, and other officers patrolled the neighborhood, he said.
Voelpel said Meeker parents received messages from the school both Sunday night and again Monday.
In Fircrest, city police officers greeted students on their way to Whittier Elementary School. An officer also stopped by to talk with kids during lunchtime.
“We appreciated his presence,” said Whittier Principal Donna Basil.
Several school district Facebook pages were buzzing with parent comments about what districts should do to make schools safer – including locking doors and installing metal detectors. One parent wanted to know how schools can protect kids in portable classrooms set apart from the building.
“The expectation is that there is one point of entry (into a school building),” said Puyallup School District spokesman Brian Fox.
He said that expectation is easier to maintain at newer schools designed with security in mind.
Fox said if parents have questions about individual school safety issues, they should contact their school’s principal.
In the Bethel School District, spokeswoman Krista Carlson said officials are reviewing security measures, and that principals at each school have been asked to determine any needs specific to their building.
One recent project in the Spanaway-based district involves switching school building locks from a standard key system to electronic swipe cards, which are considered more secure.
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