Patrick: More school safety needed

REVERE – The nation?s latest school shooting – this time in New Mexico – underscores the need to improve public school safety, Gov. Deval Patrick told Revere parents and teachers on Thursday.Patrick said a task force, headed by state education, public safety and human services officials, will complete its research and release a report before the fall.He signed the executive order creating the task force in the A.C. Whelan School?s library surrounded by elementary school children.?It?s breaking all of our hearts to hear about these kind of calamities, most recently in New Mexico. As a parent, I wish we didn?t have to think about this,” Patrick said.A 12-year-old middle school student is the suspect in Tuesday?s shooting, which, according to an Associated Press report, critically injured a 12-year-old boy and injured a 13-year-old girl. A press statement released by the governor?s office on Thursday noted that “…a majority of school districts lack resources needed to do comprehensive safety and security planning on their own and as a result, are under prepared or not at all prepared for emergency situations.”The statement notes that state and federal guidance and funds are available to help pay for local school security improvements.The task force will draw up recommendations school officials can use to update safety plans and outline ways to assess how to secure local schools. Patrick said “very little sharing of good ideas” for security improvements occurs among school systems.He credited Whelan employees on Thursday for asking him to show identification with his photograph, and Julie DeMauro, mother of three Whelan students, said ID checks are among the security improvements made by Revere educators in local schools.School Superintendent Paul Dakin said the school system has added security cameras to improve security, but Dakin said some of the work related to school security begins long before a student or adult bent on violence walks into a school.?Much of this is mental health, social welfare and well-being. The answer is to get deeper and deeper into social services,” he said.Dakin said communication between social service agencies and school officials is important in terms of school security.DeMauro and other parents talked with Patrick during his Whelan visit, and DeMauro said she emphasized the need for students to become involved in security.?I suggested a student awareness program that is age-appropriate. It would make them feel safer,” she said.School superintendents and teachers will be represented on the task force and state Education Secretary Matthew Malone said its focus will fall partly on mental health. Newly sworn-in Revere School Committee member Susan Gravallese welcomes a state-level security review but said she hopes metal detectors do not become common sights in schools.Parent Marcela Diaz said she thinks scanning systems located at school doorways could help make students feel safer.?Then they can concentrate on learning,” she said.