By DAVE THOMAS
In relation to securing the campus for regulars and guests, Helix Constitution Excessive Faculty is all in.
Given the rash of security incidents on faculty campuses nationwide over the past variety of years, extra colleges are spending additional effort and assets securing their premises.
Helix (opened in 1952) for the 2021-22 faculty yr spent roughly 10 % of its annual price range in direction of campus security and safety by means of its Faculty Security Initiatives and Amenities Upkeep/Enhancements.
In keeping with Government Director Kevin Osborn, the varsity has some 2,500 college students on campus on any given day. The scholars are served by some 200 academics.
The varsity has a robust working relationship with native regulation enforcement. A La Mesa Police Division faculty useful resource officer is assigned to Helix and so they work with the varsity’s workers and the volunteer organizations like Helix D.A.D.S. to assist create a protected campus atmosphere.
La Mesa Courier lately caught up with Osborn to debate the efforts behind protecting the varsity as protected as attainable.
LMC: In relation to securing the Helix campus, what have been among the priorities within the final couple of years?
Kevin Osborn: Within the Helix Native Management Accountability Plan (LCAP) our primary focus objective is making a “Secure and Supportive Setting: Develop a Secure and Supportive Setting that Helps Social Emotional Wellness, Good Citizenship and a Wholesome Life-style.” Security at school begins with offering a heat, welcoming, and supportive atmosphere. As such, each scholar is assigned to a grade degree staff through which a grade degree principal, counselor, educational advisor, administrative assistant and social employee serve the category of scholars all 4 years; this permits households to have constant assist targeted on their scholar’s progress, growth, and success. Within the final a number of years, Helix has employed 5 further counselors/social employees to work with the 4 grade degree groups to higher serve the social-emotional wants of our scholar physique. The Helix Faculty Security committee meets usually to deal with our security wants. Final yr, we added a full-time supervisor of faculty security and safety, who’s liable for main and growing a cohesive staff of seven skilled campus supervisors. The supervisor of faculty security and safety and different directors keep a collaborative relationship with the La Mesa Police Division’s faculty useful resource officer assigned to Helix in addition to the LMPD management staff. As well as, working with the Grossmont Union Excessive Faculty District, Helix has put in much more safety cameras all through campus. We’re within the technique of including perimeter fencing in the back and front of the varsity.
LMC: How usually through the faculty yr do college students/academics/workers practice for dwell shooter drills, fires and different potential questions of safety on campus?
Osborn: Now we have 6 drills hosted by Helix and 1 at the side of native regulation enforcement for a complete of seven annual drills. Drills cowl every part from earthquakes to energetic shooters. Helix has additionally hosted energetic shooter coaching finished by countywide regulation enforcement businesses over time.
LMC: When you’re the dad or mum of a Helix scholar, how good do you have to really feel concerning the safety precautions faculty officers have taken?
Osborn: Helix mother and father ought to really feel assured that scholar security is one in all our high priorities.
LMC: How a lot focus do you placed on see one thing/say one thing each when college students/academics/workers are on campus and likewise something they could see or hear on social media off campus?
Osborn: Our campus safety staff and all of our workers underwent a reminder coaching session earlier than faculty began concerning the significance of stepping in while you see one thing. College students are inspired to report any considerations they see to a grade degree staff member or one other trusted grownup on campus. For college students who could also be a bit apprehensive to return ahead in individual, the varsity has created an nameless security tip line to help college students in with the ability to simply “see one thing/say one thing”. All scholar hotline suggestions go instantly to the supervisor of Faculty Security and Safety and different directors who then appropriately tackle the priority.
LMC: Do you take a look at what different excessive colleges domestically or nationally do with safety measures in contemplating what would possibly work nicely for Helix?
Osborn: Whereas we sustain with business requirements and norms, the truth is there is no such thing as a cookie cutter method to security. Every particular person faculty or district has their very own set of issues or considerations. What may fit at one other faculty won’t be one of the best method at Helix. Whereas reflecting on greatest normal security practices in highschool, we develop our personal method using a few of these greatest practices and tailor our method to greatest tackle the protection wants for our college neighborhood.
LMC: As tragic as these faculty shootings are nationwide, do they assist to coach you and everybody else at Helix in relation to hopefully stopping such an occasion on campus?
Osborn: Each faculty capturing that has ever occurred has supplied us with some kind of teachable second or useful resource, whether or not it’s within the evaluation of what labored, what went flawed or what can we do to be higher. These occasions have strengthened the significance of scholars and workers talking up once they have considerations. Creating a heat, respectful, and supportive atmosphere the place workers, college students, and our neighborhood really feel snug coming ahead to share their considerations is paramount in sustaining a protected faculty.
— Attain editor Dave Thomas at: [email protected]
