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After Massic incident student reps press for phone-access rules; superintendent urges measured public communication
Summary
Following a non-credible threat at Massic High School, student representatives said the district's cellphone policy hampered communication during the response; Superintendent Joe described the response timeline, said no weapon was found and that the Safety Committee will review phone-access procedures and policy contingencies.
Student representatives told the Monroe School District board that last Thursdays response at Massic High School exposed a gap in how the district enforces its electronic-device policy during emergency responses.
"The majority of students were not given the opportunity to communicate with their loved ones that night," a student representative said, urging the board to examine how cell-phone access is handled in lockdown or controlled-movement situations.
Superintendent Joe provided a timeline of the response: at about 7:20 p.m. administrators received a report about a possible weapon; safety protocols were activated, Monroe Police were contacted and the school moved to a controlled "state put" status while officials waited for a canine unit to perform a secondary search. Joe said he arrived about 7:45 p.m., the situation was quickly isolated, the canine sweep cleared the building and no weapon was found.
"I would rather be accurate than fast," Joe told the board while explaining the districts emphasis on getting verified information out and noting privacy laws limit what the district can release about individuals involved.
Board members and staff acknowledged the student concern. The Safety Committee and building administration will meet to recommend procedures that could permit students limited access to phones at safe moments during a prolonged controlled-movement response, the superintendent said. The board also conducted a first review of the districts electronic-device policy; the draft policy retains a principal-level contingency for emergency or health exceptions so building leadership has discretion during incidents.
No formal policy changes were adopted at the meeting; the electronic-device policy will return for further consideration following Safety Committee recommendations and further administrative review.
