State police walkthroughs prompt immediate safety fixes and long-range facility planning

West Milford school officials reported that the New Jersey state police conducted security walkthroughs of district buildings and gave the board a list of recommendations the district is already acting on. Board members praised the review as thorough and said the district will fix simple issues quickly and include larger work in the long-range facility plan.

What the team found: during committee reports the safety committee said the state police identified several implementable items — for example, replacing looped double-door handles that would allow doors to be chained closed and moving classroom room numbers to upper-left windows so first responders can better identify rooms from outside. Facilities staff said those items have been fixed or addressed where possible.

Why it matters: administrators and board members said the write-ups from the state police, which were provided free to districts that requested the service, highlighted quick “low-hanging fruit” as well as projects that will need funding and time. One committee member said only about 31 districts statewide take advantage of the free service.

Next steps and planning: the district’s facilities leader and staff will combine the state police findings with the ongoing long-range facility plan so that recommended projects that require funding can be prioritized and budgeted. The safety committee said it will meet again March 12; principals and local police were involved in the walkthroughs and will continue to collaborate on drills and procedures.

Quotes: “They have if every school was given a report of things in their building that, you know, could be an issue,” one safety-committee member said. Facilities staff told the board they are tackling items the state police recommended “as we can.”