LYNN — Protective sweeps may be coming to the city’s public schools.
The School Committee Policy Subcommittee met on Tuesday to review Section J of the Lynn Public Schools Policy Manual. The major topic of discussion was the addition of protective sweeps to Section JIH of the manual.
Protective sweeps are broad searches that are conducted without “particularized suspicion.”
The existing policy only allows for individual searches with reasonable suspicion. Protective sweeps are legally permitted as long as a policy pertaining to them is outlined in a district’s policy manual per state regulation.
“This is an effort to be proactive and to ensure the safety of all of our students and staff within our schools, specifically our secondary schools, our middle and high schools,” Superintendent Dr. Evonne Alvarez said during the meeting.
Lynn Classical High School Principal Amy Dunn said that the policy is partially a response to a stabbing incident at the school in the spring.
“We really wanna make sure that we are setting the tone and being proactive, so that we don’t see that type of action again at our schools,” Dunn said. “I think it’s really important for us to have a policy and procedure around this.”
According to statistics presented by Alvarez, the district had 66 weapons-related offenses in schools in the 2022-23 school year, including possession of two handguns and eight other firearms. The amount of offenses was more than double the previous year’s total of 29, which included possession of a handgun.
LPS officials stressed the importance of balancing school safety with protecting students’ rights.
“We really looked at this policy as a proactive measure and not a reactive measure, highly emphasizing the rights of students and also securing the safety of our schools,” Deputy Superintendent Maricel Goris explained in the meeting.
LPS Title IX Compliance Officer Charlie Gallo said the policy was carefully crafted with school and city officials to ensure that students’ rights are protected.
“There might be a protective sweep and something might be found and it might not be,” Gallo explained. “We need to protect the dignity of the student in either event.”
He also explained that the policy allows the superintendent or designees to establish procedures, such as which administrators would be responsible for conducting protective sweeps.
According to Policy Subcommittee members Eric Dugan and Dr. Tiffany Magnolia, the adoption of the addition to the policy manual will be voted on by the School Committee on Sept. 14.
