Cheltenham superintendent presents safety audit recommending phased upgrades and consideration of sworn officers
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Summary
Superintendent Dr. Scriven outlined a Center for Safe Schools audit of Cheltenham High that flags "areas for consideration" from enforcing a cell-phone policy to protective glazing and, as one option, consideration of sworn law-enforcement presence; the district will post the full report online.
The Cheltenham School District superintendent presented a safety audit of Cheltenham High School and described a phased set of recommendations that range from procedural changes to large capital projects.
Doctor Scriven told the board the Center for Safe Schools conducted a daylong audit and produced a full report that will be posted publicly. He framed the findings as "areas for consideration," saying they were "not operational failures" but opportunities to “mitigate risk and evolve Cheltenham High School from a standard baseline of safety to a comprehensive resilient security model.”
The report groups work into phases. Phase 1 items included enforcing a cell-phone policy during school hours, clarifying visitor screening procedures and conducting additional tabletop exercises and training. Phase 2 recommendations named tactical upgrades — panic alarms, upgraded digital key boxes tied to 911, improved signage and protective glazing on vulnerable windows. Phase 3 described larger capital solutions such as redesigning the main vestibule to create a protective screening zone and installing audio-visual intercoms at primary entrances.
Scriven also said the audit noted that some neighboring districts employ sworn officers or school-resource officers and described that option as a recommendation to be "unpacked further." As he summarized the findings, he told the board the report’s recommendations require more review and community discussion: "This is a recommendation. This is something that would need to be unpacked further."
The superintendent said the district would post the full, roughly 78-page report on a public website and provide ongoing monthly safety updates. He framed personnel and hardware choices as administrator-level decisions while promising follow-up meetings with parents and additional opportunities for input.
Next steps: the district will publish the full audit, pursue phase-1 operational measures, continue internal planning for hardware upgrades, and discuss staffing or SRO options in coming months.