Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Elementary School Security Personnel
Basic Information
What are the types of armed personnel that may be present in a Connecticut School?
AllarmedschoolsecurityinConnecticutschoolsmustbeeitheractivepoliceofficersoraretiredofficer orlawenforcementagent.
SRO“meansaswornpoliceofficerofalocallawenforcementagencywhohasbeenassignedtoaschool pursuanttoanagreementbetweenthelocalorregionalboardofeducationandthechiefofpoliceofa locallawenforcementagency.”
Conn.Gen.Stat.§10-233m
Aretiredofficerorlawenforcementagentfromoneofthefollowingcategories:Connecticutstatepolice officer,Connecticutlocalpoliceofficer,out-of-statepoliceofficer,orfederallawenforcementagency officeroragent. “Retiredofficersmustalso(1)meetorexceedConnecticut’sPoliceOfficerStandards andTraining(POST)Councilcertificationstandardstoserveasarmedsecurityataschooland(2)bea “qualifiedretiredlawenforcementofficer”asdefinedinthefederalLawEnforcementOfficersSafetyAct andwhoretiredorseparatedingoodstandingfromsuchdepartment.” IfwehiredASOsinWaterford,it wouldbemandatedtheycontinuetheirtrainingwiththeWaterfordPoliceDepartmentinanon-going manner
Conn.Gen.Stat.§10-244a
Why this is being considered?
Why is this being considered? What is the additional layer of security they would provide that we don’t have now? Would this actually reduce response time in the case of an emergency? Theoverarchingconsiderationsaredeterrenceandhavinganarmedfirstresponderonthesceneshould a“badactor”showuptodoharmtooneofourelementaryschools. Itisdifficult,atbest,toquantifyhow manypeoplehavebeendeterredfromdoingharmtoaschoolandhowmanyliveshavebeensaved becausetheywerestaffedwitharmedsecuritypersonnel. Inthecaseofanysecuritybreach,timeisof theessence. Inthecaseofarmedsecuritybeingonsite,itwouldreducetheresponsetimeforafirst respondertoengagewithaperpetratoruntiltherestofthelawenforcementresponseshowup.
Havingarmedsecurityattheelementaryschoolswouldalsobringagreatersecuritypresence throughoutthedaytoboththephysicalschoolbuildingaswellasthegrounds. Thedistricthas developedstrongsecurityandsafetyplansandproceduresandelementarysecurity,likeoursecondary schools,bringsalevelofaccountabilityandfidelityofthoseplansandprocedures.
Is this being considered because of the behavior of our elementary students? Are there student issues in the elementary schools necessitating this?
No. Thisisnotbeingconsideredbecauseofthebehaviorofourelementarystudents. Thisisbeing consideredundertheumbrellaofsecurityandsafety. YouwillreadbelowinmoredetailthatSROsare notinvolvedinstudentbehaviorandschooldisciplineissues.Thatistheresponsibilityofschool administrationandschoolstaff. Ifapproved,ASOswouldnotbeinvolvedinbehavioranddiscipline issueseither.
What Information has been considered?
Has data and information from the region been considered?
Yes. TheBoardhasexaminedwhatotherschooldistrictshaveinplacebothinourregionandacrossthe state.
Will this decision be made based solely on public opinion?
No. TheBoardwillcontinuetocarefullyconsidermultiplesourcesofinformationbutgatheringpublic inputisanimportantpartoftheprocess.
What models are under consideration?
What models are being considered and what criteria will be used? If the model was something other than 3 SROs, how would it be decided what school gets covered and by which personnel? TheBoardisconsideringbothSROsandASOsoracombinationthereof. Anydecisionsoncoverageand rotationswillbemadeinconsultationwiththeChiefofPolice.
Questions about the role of school security personnel?
Would they be involved in immigration enforcement?
No. SROsorASOshavenoroleinimmigrationenforcement. Infact,in2013,Connecticutpassedalaw calledtheTrustActwhichlimitspoliceinvolvementinICEmatters.
Will an ASO be allowed to interact with staff and students?
Yes Buildingpositiverelationshipswithstudents,staffandfamiliesisintegraltothesuccessofthe positionifapproved. IfapprovedbytheBoardofEducation,theextentandunderwhatcircumstances, willbeclarifiedinthejobdescriptionandBoardpolicy.
Would these new positions be involved in student discipline and behavior issues?
Ingeneral, SROsarenotinvolved in studentdiscipline. TheWaterford Board ofEducation hasasigned Memorandum of Understanding with the Waterford Police Department that outlines and delineates the duties of an SRO. School administrators, to include school principals, teachers, and other staff, are responsible for student discipline issues and enforcement of school rules. They have exclusive responsibilityforschooldiscipline.
Ingeneral,SROsarenotinvolvedinstudentdiscipline.Ifastudentdisciplinesituationbeginstojeopardize thesafetyofstudents,SROsmaybecomeinvolved. Behaviorsatthislevelmustbeviolationsofcriminal law,butonlyafterclassroom,schooladministrationandassessmentandserviceinterventionshavebeen tried.
WhenthereisacriminalreasonforanSROtobecomeinvolved,havinganSROhelpstomitigatetheamount ofjuvenilearrestsandthishelpstokeepstudentsoutofthecourtsystem. Attimes,theSROcanoftenhelp findbetterwaystoremedyasituationthananarrest.
What has the district done from a proactive standpoint?
Has the district/board invested in preventive measures such as social workers, school psychologists, mental health services, and other programs that benefit the mental health and well-being of students?
TheBoardofEducationhassteadilyinvestedandincreasedinvestmentsinproactivemeasuresinthe areasofstudentmentalhealthandwell-being. Everyschoolinthedistricthasatleastoneschool psychologistandonesocialworker. ClarkLanehastwopsychologistsandonesocialworker. Waterford HighSchoolhastwosocialworkersandtwopsychologists. Inthe2020-21schoolyear,theBoardadded anadditionalsocialworkeratthehighschool. Inthe2021-22schoolyear,theBoardincreasedfrom threepsychologistsatthesecondaryleveltofour.
Inthe2021-2022schoolyear,theBoardinvestedintwootherareasofmentalhealthsupportfor students. TheBoardaddedtwoschool-basedmentalhealthclinics,operatedbyUnitedCommunity& FamilyServices,locatedatbothClarkLaneandWaterfordHighSchooltoservestudentsinallfive Waterfordschools. Thosetwomentalhealthclinicssawover1400appointmentsinthe2022-2023 schoolyear. Thevisitsthisyearareonpacetoexceedthat.
TheBoardalsopartneredwithEffectiveSchoolSolutionstoopenatherapeuticdayprogramforsomeof ourstudentsatWaterfordHighSchool. Thisisanintensiveclinicalmentalhealthprogramstaffedwith twofull-timecliniciansandapart-timeclinicalsupervisor. Thisprogramcombinesindividualtherapy, grouptherapy,familytherapy,andtherapeuticcheck-instoprovidecomprehensivementalhealth supporttohighschoolstudents.
Inaddition,wemaintainaverycloserelationshipwithWaterfordYouthandFamilyServicesandtheir counselingprogrammingtohelpensurestudents’mentalhealthneedsarebeingmet,aswellasahostof privateprovidersandDCFvoluntaryservices
Lastly,inthisareaofbeingproactive,ourdistrictchosethisyeartobepartofaStateofCTprogram calledtheDevereuxStudentStrengthsAssessment(DESSA). Overtwodecadesofresearchhashelpedus understandtheimportantrolesocial-emotionalskillsplayineachstudent’ssuccessinandoutsideof schoolandinlife.Skillssuchasdemonstratingself-control,persistingatchallengingtasks,makinggood decisions,andworkingwellingroupsareallnecessarytobeingsuccessfulstudentsandadults. To supportourstudentsindevelopingtheseessentialskillstobecomesuccessfulandresponsibleadults, WaterfordimplementedtheDESSAscreeningprocessthisyear.
As part of this State of Connecticut funded program, our teachers will be completing a short eight (8) question assessment using a strength-based tool called the DESSA-mini several times throughout the course of the year
Sample DESSA questions include:
• Howoftendidthechildkeeptryingwhenunsuccessful?
• Howoftendidthechildoffertohelpsomebody?
• Howoftendidthechildgetthingsdoneinatimelyfashion?
• Howoftendidthechildworkwellingroups?
Once the teacher identifies the skills the child still needs to enhance or develop, the teacher will work with the child in these areas. The DESSA is published by Aperture Education and thousands of schools nationwide use the DESSA.
Has there been training in crisis intervention for staff?
Yes. Staffreceivecrisisinterventiontrainingonaregularbasis. Inaddition,staffhavealsobeentrained inotherrelatedareas,suchasMentalHealthFirstAid,SignsofSuicide,andde-escalationstrategies.
Do we do any anti-bullying and/or violence prevention programs with students?
Yes. ThisisanimportantandrobustpartofourstudentexperienceintheWPS.
Attheelementarylevelweapproachthisfromavarietyofways. Wehaveimplementedavarietyof programsincludingTheSandyHookPromiseFoundation’sStartwithHelloandourSecondStep Curriculumwhichovertlyteachesaboutthis. TheGrade5YouthPromiseProgram,taughtbyourmiddle schoolSROandarepresentativefromWaterfordYouthandFamilyServices,spendsaconsiderable amountoftimeonthetopicofcyberbullying. Beyondsomeoftheseformalways,weaddressthis throughvariouscharactereducationprogramsandassemblies. Werunmanysocialskillsgroupsto handlethesetopicsinsmallgroupsettingsaswell. OurStudentBehaviorTeamsmeetregularlytoreview studentsneedingsupportbasedonrecentdifficultiesinschool. Stafftrainingisimperativeaswe continuetotrainourteaminRestorativePractices;whichisnowastatelaw.
AtClarkLane,wealsoaddressthisinage-appropriateways,startingwith6thgradeorientationfor students. CLMScoversexpectations,butalsowaystoreportinstancesofbullyingevenifyouarenoton thereceivingendofit. CLMSreviewsrespectingother’sspaces,rightsandanti-bullyingatthestartof eachschoolyearwiththePRIDEbehaviorallessons. Throughoutthecourseoftheyear,school counselorsdeliverspecificanti-bullyinglessonsinallcoreclasses. In7thand8thgradehealthand wellnessclasses,therearespecific,targetedlessonsregardingsocialmediaharassment.Theselessons aredeliveredbyateacherandourSRO. Thereisdailymessagingonallmonitorsinpublicspacesabout respectingotherpeopleandreportinganythingoneseesorwitnessesthatisathreattotheschoolor individuals. TheSPEAKUPtipsystemisadvertisedthroughoutthebuilding. Wehavehadspeakersthat focusonbullying.LastyearwasRyan’sStory;weareworkingonapresenterforthisspring. Allofthisis reinforcedinanoverarchingwaythroughtheSandyHookPromise’sSaySomethingprogram.
AtWaterfordHighSchool,againinanage-appropriatemanner,wedoaddressthistopicregularlywith studentsindifferentforums. TheHealthcurriculumcontainscertainunitsandtopicsthatcoverthis material. SafeFuturespresentstoall10thgradersondomesticviolenceanddatingviolenceprevention. Advisorylessonsareembeddedthroughouttheschoolyearthataligntoanti-bullyingand/orviolence prevention. Guestpresentersandschool-wideassembliesoccuralso,suchasJohnHalligan. Mr.Halligan losthissontosuicideduetobullyingandspokeabouttheimportanceofself-advocacyandadvocacyfor others. Thehighschoolalsoemphasizestheanonymoustipsystemaswell.
How has the Board gathered input to date?
What are the ways, to date, that people have had the opportunity to participate in this discussion? EveryregularBoardmeetingallowsforwrittenandspokenpubliccomment. TheBoardheldaspecial meetingforpublicinputonJanuary17,2024. Peoplehavealsobeeninvitedtosendinwrittenpublic comment,emailtheBoard,andtocalltheSuperintendent. Multipleemailstotheentireschooldistrict weresentoutexpressingthevariouswaystoweighin. AnotheremailwassentoutonJanuary18,2024 totheentireschoolcommunitywithalinktothemeetingrecording,theslidessharedbythe Superintendentthatevening,aswellasencouragingpeopletocontinuetoprovideinput. These messagesemailedtoparentsaretranslatedinto21differentlanguages.
Have teachers and staff been asked what is needed, their concerns, and ideas?
TheBoardsentanemailtoallstaffseekingtheirinputontheissueonJanuary3,2024thesamewaysthe Boardsolicitedinputfromparentsandcommunitymembers. Manystaffemailshavebeenreceived. Numerousstaffideasandthoughtshavebeenrelayedtoadministrators.
Has the board discussed the numerous layers of security that are already in place? Has the Board discussed where security can be improved?
Yes. ThishasbeendiscussedmultipletimesoverseveralmonthsbytheBoardandwithmultiplepeople knowledgeableinthefield.
Funding Questions
Is this decision going to be a budgetary one?
Fiscalresourcesarealwaysconsideredinpersonneldecisions. Withthatsaid,theultimatedecisionin thismatterwillnotsolelybeabudgetarydecision.
Would other staff and programs have to be eliminated to fund these positions?
No.TheBoardofEducationwouldnotreducestaffand/orprogramsintheirdeliberationstoachieve thesepositions. AnydecreasetotheBoardofEducationbytheBoardofFinanceorRTMduringthe budgetaryprocesswillrequirelineitemreductionstobemade. Theexactlinestobereducedwouldbe determinedbytheBoardofEducationatalaterdate.
Will this negatively impact teacher pay?
No. Thiswillhavenoimpactonteacherpay.
Would this impact current security staffing at the middle school and high school?
No. ThiswillnotimpactthestaffingofthecurrentSROsatthemiddleschoolandhighschool. Those SROswillremaininplaceregardlessofthedecisiononelementarysecuritypersonnel.
Hiring Questions
Would these positions have job descriptions?
Yes. SROsareemployeesofthePoliceDepartmentandthePoliceDepartmentmaintainsajob descriptionforthesepositions. IftheBoardofEducationmovesforwardwithASOs,therewilldefinitely beajobdescriptioninplace.
Will there be expectations on the level of interaction with students, staff, families, and the community?
Thiswillbeexpresslystatedinthejobdescriptionandanyotherassociateddocuments. Buildingpositive relationshipswithstudents,staffandfamiliesisintegraltothesuccessofthepositionifapproved.
Would these potential hires be background checked? How would we know if someone was forced to retire for a negative reason elsewhere?
SROs,aspoliceofficers,undergodeepbackgroundchecks. ASOs,whichwouldbeschooldistrict employees,wouldalsoundergoadeepbackgroundcheck. BoardofEducationpolicy4196/4830,which alignswithstatestatute,stipulatesemploymentchecks.
Whetherornotthepersonretiredingoodstandingwouldbeapartofthebackgroundcheckprocess.
ConnecticutGeneralStatutes§10-244ademandthatanASOisaperson“whoretiredorseparatedin goodstandingfromsuchdepartment.”
Who would be involved in the hiring process?
SROsarehiredbytheWaterfordPoliceDepartment. Schooldistrictadministrationisinvolvedinthe process. ASOsarehiredbythedistrictandanyASOhiringprocesswouldincludetheChiefofPolice and/ordesignee(s).
Questions about other current security measures?
Do we have a tip line for people to report concerns?
Yeswedo. Itisrightonourhomepageatwww.waterfordschools.org. Anyonecancall,email,ortextusat speakup@my.waterfordschools.orgor860-909-4004.