Resident urges South River board to prioritize mental-health supports over hardened security measures

During the public-comment period of the Dec. 16 South River Board of Education meeting an unnamed resident urged the board to shift resources away from security hardening measures and toward mental-health services for students.

The speaker began by saying, “no one has ever been shot in our schools, and no one is going to be,” and argued that board decisions should be based on probability, consequences and cost-effectiveness rather than fear. The resident contended there is “no evidence that any of the measures that are commonly used to harden schools against attack actually work,” and cited a September 4 shooting at a Georgia high school as an example in which 911 dispatch arrived faster than a paid panic-alarm service the speaker said schools had installed.

The commenter criticized metal detectors and armed security, saying students learn how to circumvent measures and that a single officer cannot cover multiple buildings and hallways. He also argued that some in-school shootings are suicides, and that investing in mental-health services would prevent more deaths than hardening measures. The speaker proposed not replacing security officers as they retire to reduce costs and suggested a visible patrol car at arrival and dismissal times as a cheaper alternative to on-site armed officers.

The board did not take action on the remarks during the meeting. The public-comment segment was closed before the board entered an executive session; the board later cited attorney-client privilege as the reason for closed session discussion.