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Center for Safe Schools: Cheltenham High and Elementary score lower on safety, district to pursue targeted upgrades
Summary
An external safety assessment presented to the Cheltenham board identified lower scores at the high school and one elementary school for door access, lighting and behavioral‑health capacity; the district plans summer upgrades, more staff training, and public executive summaries.
The Center for Safe Schools (an initiative of the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit) presented results of district safety assessments to the Cheltenham School District board on June 9, highlighting specific vulnerabilities at Cheltenham High School and Cheltenham Elementary.
Karen Layman, director of Safe and Supportive Environments at the Center for Schools and Communities, and assessor Michelle Kern framed the audits as point‑in‑time reviews using Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) criteria covering physical security, policies and training, behavioral‑health supports, and school climate. Kern said the updated PCCD criteria (revised March 2025) place greater emphasis on implementation and behavioral supports.
"These assessments are not intended to label a school as safe or unsafe — they are a snapshot to help you identify priorities," Kern said, and she noted the district received detailed, school‑level reports (approximately 100 pages per building) identifying strengths and areas for attention.
Among the findings Kern cited: older building stock at the high school complicates door access control; multiple uncontrolled entry points and campus traffic patterns reduce perimeter control; interior door hardware and wayfinding signage need updates; and some buildings showed lower scores for behavioral‑health capacity and threat‑assessment alignment with PCCD best practices. Cheltenham Elementary's staff perception of safety was lower in the assessment window (the assessor visited in January), and Kern recommended action such as increased counseling capacity, better threat‑assessment function alignment, and after‑action reviews following critical incidents.
Superintendent Dr. Scriven told the board the district had already begun targeted follow‑up work. He said the administration prioritized Cheltenham High and Cheltenham Elementary for summer action items and pledged to post an executive summary and a 17‑slide action plan online for community review. "We have prioritized immediate next steps and action items that we should carry out through the summer," Scriven said.
District next steps include: prioritizing physical‑security upgrades where feasible (door hardware, door alarms, security film), improving exterior lighting and sightlines, aligning student assistance and threat‑assessment teams with PCCD practices, and expanding staff professional development in trauma‑informed and behavioral‑health practices. Kern recommended focusing on reinforcing existing strengths rather than creating new systems from scratch.
The assessment and the district's planned executive summaries and FAQs will be posted publicly, the superintendent said, and family and staff engagement sessions will continue into the summer and early fall.
