NAHANT — Superintendent Phil Devaux said he hasn’t received any letters from parents questioning the security of the Johnson School even though a month has passed since the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.
After School Committee members asked at a meeting Tuesday if parents were concerned in the wake of the incident, Devaux said he has talked to parents in the parking lot of the Johnson School before and after school, but there have been no formal inquiries. He added that teachers had discussed security measures during a meeting earlier that day for about 20 minutes.
He added that security policies can’t be revealed to the public for safety reasons, but said the school will checking and double-checking its protocol.
“The kids know we’ve been running drills this year,” said Devaux. “We run lockdown drills and evacuation drills on a regular basis. What we’ve done is substantial; we’re not starting from scratch.”
Devaux said he has been in talks with the Nahant Police Department to increase their visibility at the school. “All I can do is reassure you that we talk all the time to police, fire and the Department of Public Works. We’ve taken this seriously at least all the four years I’ve been here.”
Devaux said the flaws in the security measures most often come from unlocked doors or parents trying to “finesse themselves through the door” after a teacher, only to have the door shut in their face.
“I’ve had it done to me,” said member Kerri McKinnon, raising her hand.
McKinnon also announced the Nahant Educational Foundation and Parent Teacher Organization are working on sending a flowering tree to Newtown, Conn. in honor of the lives lost to be planted in the downtown park area of the town, she said. “It will be something beautiful and positive,” she said.
Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected].
