Washburn school discusses alternatives to a secure entrance
By Cheryl McCormack
Editor
Talk of a secure school entrance at last month’s Washburn School Board meeting shifted to a discussion about altering traffic flow at the most recent meeting of directors last week.
President Rick Tweeten said, "I’ve decided we need to look at some other avenues here. Say we don’t lock the whole place down, but change the traffic flow a little bit. Look at some things we aren’t currently doing."
He suggested installing glass doors at the end of the elementary hallway by the main entrance to deter guests from entering the elementary school before checking in at the administrative office.
Parents of preschoolers could also pick their child up from the elementary entrance, rather than entering through the main doors, decreasing hallway traffic. Director Stacey Scheresky said, "That’s an awesome idea. Most people would prefer to go there. It’s efficient. Bing, bang, boom, you’re out."
After visiting with about a half-dozen community members, Scheresky said, "No one was real excited about having the doors locked all of the time and putting the kids in ‘prison.’"
Speaking of prison, Tweeten said he’s not concerned about the inmates housed at the county jail across the street from the school and said if a prisoner break outs, they won’t stick around Washburn – they’ll want out of town. He said his concern is the people "out and about," coming in off the street.
