Residents press Cromwell Board to boost school security after swatting incident; board schedules executive session

Public commenters urged the Cromwell Board of Education on Oct. 7 to expand school security after a recent swatting incident that prompted a multi-hour lockdown.

During the meeting’s public comment period, Tim Mad introduced himself and described his background in military and security operations, urging the district to increase on-site security staffing and to be more transparent “to build trust” with families. Camila Lewis, who said she experienced a three-hour lockdown last week, asked the board to “prioritize the safety of our kids” by adding either a school resource officer or an armed security officer to each building.

The appeals followed a detailed update from Superintendent Dr. Macker, who credited Cromwell police and on-site staff for a swift response and said administrators conducted an immediate debrief. “Within five minutes… we had our team here,” the superintendent said, describing coordinated communications with police and other first responders and noting that the incident was handled in partnership with the Cromwell Police Department. She emphasized there are legal and safety limits on how much tactical information can be shared publicly while promising clearer, more consistent communications for families.

Administrators described immediate operational changes made after the event: a one-page classroom chart that outlines lockdown, secure-the-school, shelter-in-place and evacuation procedures will be placed in every classroom; staff received focused training and each teacher has a procedure packet (a “red bag”) that contains critical steps to follow. The superintendent also acknowledged problems with the district’s notification chain—SchoolMessenger/PowerSchool text and email delivery—and said the district is evaluating alternatives.

Board members asked whether there had been a formal debrief with the police department. The superintendent and other administrators said they were in frequent contact with Chief Cifo and that the department assisted with building sweeps; students and staff confirmed school resource officer Officer Pete was present and provided direction during the incident.

The board voted to move a discussion of district security strategy into executive session at the end of the meeting to allow administrators and counsel to review sensitive operational plans.

The board’s next procedural step is the executive-session security review; public updates will depend on what the district’s counsel and first responders advise can be released without compromising safety.