NEWARK– Education officials maintain that schools are safe and cite a “gross failure” in communication as the reason for the current discord between the school system and local law enforcement.
Following a trio of closed session meetings to discuss concerns shared by Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser and Sheriff Matt Crisafulli, Worcester County Board of Education President Todd Ferrante this week responded to law enforcement. The letter, sent Monday, stresses that schools are safe, criticizes the way law enforcement officials have expressed their school safety concerns and reiterates the need for the task force created by the board last week.
“We now must find a way to move forward together, and you have the commitment of this Board that it intends to do so efficiently and productively,” the letter reads. “We hope that the Board has your commitment as well.”
In a statement the following day, Heiser and Crisafulli expressed their disappointment with the school board’s response.
“Unfortunately for the community, but perhaps unsurprisingly, school officials are once again outright denying that school safety issues exist, even after having been confronted with direct evidence and concrete examples,” the statement reads. “It appears that school officials are choosing to prioritize the appearance of school safety over actual school safety.”
On Sept. 21, Heiser and Crisafulli sent a letter to the school system outlining serious concerns about the safety of local schools. She and Crisafulli made clear last month law enforcement have ongoing concerns about the lack of notification they receive from school officials regarding criminal activity in schools. That’s despite the fact that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the sheriff’s office and the school system in August stipulates that school staff will report crimes to school resource deputies.
Ferrante’s letter acknowledges the meetings the school board held regarding the concerns and states the board concluded that very little could be agreed upon between the sheriff, state’s attorney and school system’s executive team.
“Specifically, the Board found that there is a gross failure in effective communication between the Partners and believes, without reservation, that this needs immediate attention and correction. Likewise, the Board is concerned that misinformation, not only between the Partners, but that has been conveyed to the community, has led to confusion and discontent,” the letter reads. “The Board believes that all Partners share in some of the responsibility for these sentiments. The Board welcomes constructive criticism with a goal of helping improve Worcester County Public Schools (“WCPS”), but the Board believes that the time, place, and manner of providing such criticism is a vitally important consideration when matters as delicate as school safety and parental and student rights are at issue. The Board fails to see how engaging in a truth versus fiction dialogue through public forums is helpful in maintaining school safety…”
The letter goes on to say that that dialogue may violate FERPA (Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974), HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1966) and IDEA (Individual with Disabilities Education Act).
“The Board agrees that the Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) between the Sheriff’s Office and WCPS needs be followed,” the letter from the school board reads. “Given the date of your letter of September 21st, the Board notes that the MOU was in effect for a total of 12 school days… The Board found, however, that the Executive Team/WCPS is not the only Partner that has failed to meet every expectation of the implementation of the MOU and looks forward to a time when all Partners can comply.”
The school board invites Heiser and Crisafulli to join the school safety task force they announced creation of in a statement last week. The task force consists of school board members Elena McComas, Katie Addis and Bill Gordy as well as Superintendent Lou Taylor, Chief Safety Officer Annette Wallace and the school board’s attorney.
“Shortly following this letter, you will receive an email with dates and times for the initial meeting,” the letter reads. “The initial meeting will be vital to firmly establishing the goals and procedures of the Task Force, determining whether additional staff/Partners should be invited to join the Task Force, and to begin work on matters that not only need to be resolved, but also for all Partners to gain a clear understanding of what specific improvements are needed from each Partner moving forward. After a date and time for the initial meeting is established, the Task Force will circulate the draft agenda and our Task Force members welcome your input on additional agenda items that should be a priority at the initial meeting. We trust that moving forward all Partners share the same objective – to work in partnership, with honest and clear communication, and to do anything that is necessary to maintain a safe learning environment for students, faculty, and staff.”
The day after Ferrante’s letter was sent, Heiser and Crisafulli responded with a joint statement. They said they were disappointed with the school board’s stance.
“After waiting for over a month to receive any response, it is now abundantly clear that school officials plan to take no meaningful action to resolve the specific concerns law enforcement detailed for them during their presentation on October 4th,” the statement reads. “The Sheriff and State’s Attorney now urge the Board to immediately reconsider.”
According to the statement, law enforcement remain concerned that the pattern of minimizing safety concerns, excusing student misconduct without disciplinary action and failing to take precautionary measures will continue.
“The Board’s response does not outline any specific corrective actions the Board or school officials will take to comply with state law, it does not address the specific questions posed about school safety-related protocols, nor has the Board decided to accept law enforcement’s offer to provide regular updates to ensure they have full and accurate information about crime occurring in the schools,” the statement reads.
The school board has indicated the task force will be working through the issues presented to the board, facilitating strong communication, providing educational opportunities on the nuances of school law and serve as a liaison to the board. Heiser and Crisafulli don’t believe it’s enough.
“As it stands, the often-repeated conclusion of school officials that ‘schools are safe’ doesn’t make it so, and a so-called ‘task force’ comprised of all the same individuals with whom law enforcement has continuously discussed these safety issues for the past 4 years is not likely to suddenly become an effective solution,” their joint statement reads. “Law enforcement would, however, be willing to consider participation in a task force with a membership having the demonstrated ability to effect positive changes within the schools. At this juncture, Sheriff Crisafulli and State’s Attorney Heiser remain dissatisfied with the safety situation in our schools and are actively discussing law enforcement’s options. The Sheriff and the State’s Attorney want to assure the community that school safety remains their utmost priority, and that their efforts in this area will continue undeterred until Worcester County attains the highest standard of safety within the schools. Community updates will be provided by both the Office of the State’s Attorney and Worcester County Sheriff’s Office as they continue to work together to bring transparency and accountability in matters of school safety.”
