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Parent presses Ellington School District for details after May 12 high school security breach
Summary
A parent raised concerns at the May 2025 Board of Education meeting about an uninvited individual who entered Ellington High School on May 12, saying district communications minimized the incident and asking for greater transparency; the superintendent said a review will occur in executive session and explained limits on public disclosures.
A parent, Jeremy Powell, told the Ellington School District Board of Education at its May 2025 meeting that an individual entered Ellington High School on May 12 and remained in the building longer than the district’s initial message suggested.
Powell said he believed the district’s letter “minimiz[ed] the incident” and that, based on his inquiries, the individual was “in the building… for maybe an hour.” He said he had asked administrators how long the person was inside and did not receive a clear answer, and he urged the board to provide more information to parents.
The district’s superintendent, Dr. Nickel, told the board the district takes school security “very seriously” and explained some limits on public communications about safety incidents. He said the school’s safety plan is not a public document because it contains information that could reveal security vulnerabilities, and that some details must be handled in executive session or through controlled briefings with board members. Dr. Nickel also said an administrator, Mr. Richard, had been out of the office for two days, which contributed to a delay in responding to a parent email.
Board Chair Zenn and other board members encouraged parents to bring concerns to the administration and noted the board is arranging a review of the district’s safety and security materials. The superintendent said the district will offer multiple ways for board members to review the safety plan: an executive-session briefing for the full board or individual debriefs by appointment, and that the safety manual is available for board members to review at the Board of Education office by contacting district staff.
Speakers in the meeting repeatedly emphasized two aims: to be as transparent as possible and to avoid unnecessarily alarming the public by broadcasting operational security details. Dr. Nickel said Ellington has three armed school security officers and a full school resource officer and that the district consults with law enforcement on security protocols.
No formal vote or policy action specific to the May 12 incident was taken at the meeting; the board subsequently approved a first read of revisions to the district’s school safety and security policy (policy 1200) during the same meeting as part of the policy committee items.
The parent who spoke said he came because he and other parents felt they were not getting timely or complete answers and asked the board to “do better.” The superintendent said the district will continue an internal review and discuss potential adjustments to procedures during the scheduled security briefing for board members.
