Building tours in place to help ensure safety of students

(Published Sunday, April 1, 2007 in Examiner-Enterprise)

As we strive to provide our students with the best possible learning environment, it is of vital importance we offer them a safe environment as well.

With that in mind, school officials have been meeting with safety leaders from throughout the community in recent months. The goal of the meetings has been to coordinate a plan of action should an emergency situation arise. We want members of the Bartlesville Police Department, the Bartlesville Fire Department and Washington County Emergency Management to have as much information about our schools as possible so that precious seconds aren't wasted should a life-threatening scenario come to pass.

Fred Auschwitz, who is the Safe and Drug Free Schools Coordinator for the Bartlesville Public School District , has been leading the tours. The tours have taken area safety personnel to seven of our schools to date, including Bartlesville High School , the Bartlesville Mid-High School , Central Middle School , Madison Middle School , Oak Park Elementary School , Jane Phillips Elementary School and Richard Kane Elementary School . Ranch Heights Elementary School is next in line to be visited. When the tours are completed, all 12 of the schools within the district – as well as the McKinley site – will have been toured.

The tours typically begin with safety personnel sitting down with the principal of the respective school, as well as the head custodian and Auschwitz . During these meetings, we want to make certain the safety personnel have a copy of the layout of the building. Thus, they can familiarize themselves with all of the exit and entry points as well as any other details about the building that might be of note. Next, the principal will lead the safety personnel on a tour of the building, making special note of where areas such as the cafeteria, gymnasiums and libraries are, as well as the power supplies.

At Oak Park Elementary School , principal Bobbi Sexson was able to show off her facility's new security system. The system allows office personnel to monitor who enters and exits the building through the main entrance, thus barring anyone who would seem to pose a threat.

During the tours and meetings, safety personnel are able to ask specific questions and raise any concerns they might have. They are able to gather as much vital information as they need concerning the respective schools. In turn, school officials can pose queries to the safety personnel.

When safety personnel toured Central, they were able to look at some of the tucked away places in the old edifice as well as the newly restored Earl Sears Park. While some might not be familiar with all of the nooks and crannies at Central, it's reassuring to know that our safety officials are.

Within the Bartlesville Public School District , we are constantly looking for ways to improve – be it through test scores, teaching tools or an upgrade in facilities. But of the utmost importance is the safety of the young people who pass through our school system. Thus, I applaud the efforts of the safety personnel who have taken the time to tour our facilities as well as Mr. Auschwitz, who has coordinated each of the meetings.