Wantagh school district holds parent safety forums

At the first of four Wantagh School District community security forums, at Wantagh High School on April 11, Superintendent John McNamara concluded a presentation on the district’s recent security upgrades with a simple message for the parents in attendance. “I am here tonight to listen to what you have to say,” he said.

Over the course of the meetings, with the final one on April 18, parents had the opportunity to voice concerns about their children’s safety, and offer their ideas on ways to improve security to district administrators and school board trustees. At each meeting, McNamara detailed the district’s four-pronged approach to school safety: mental health support, crisis training, security infrastructure and partnerships with local law enforcement.

McNamara highlighted PreVenture — a program that identifies students who are at risk for mental illness and substance abuse — as one of the tools the district uses to provide social and emotional support to its students. He also spoke about the regular drills the schools hold, simulating various emergency situations, and the district’s security discussions with the Nassau County Police Department and the Wantagh Fire Department.

McNamara said he wouldn’t share all of the details about the district’s programs, because he didn’t want information about certain security features to fall into the wrong hands. “We don’t want the bad guys to know where [your children] are,” he said.

At each meeting, parents broke into small groups to give their feedback to a moderator — either an administrator or board trustee — who led the discussion. Parents were also asked their opinions on posting armed guards in the schools. At several school board meetings, community members have urged trustees to either hire armed guards or to keep the schools gun-free.

“We value the community’s input, and hope these forums serve as an open dialogue where parents can share their thoughts and ease their concerns as they see the important steps we are taking in creating a safe place for their children,” McNamara wrote in a statement before the first meeting.

Parents pleased by open dialogue

Don Hanes, a Wantagh parent who attended the forum at Wantagh Elementary School on April 18, said he left satisfied with how the district is welcoming community feedback. Hanes said he was thankful that the district hosted the forums, and added that other parents who attended the meeting said they felt the same way.

“In short, I’m very satisfied, happy and thankful that the district held these security forums,” he said.

In his small group, Hanes said, there was a consensus for hiring former police officers as armed guards for district schools. The question, he explained, is what the district will do if the majority of Wantagh parents support armed guards, or any other security-related initiative.

“There were a lot of good thoughts that were shared that night,” Hanes said. “The concerns aren’t so much that the district is listening. We feel that they are listening, and we’re super thankful to the superintendent. The question is, where do we go from here? Will there actually be action taken? And where is the funding coming from?”

In the district’s proposed 2018-19 budget for, the board included the hiring of a part-time social worker, additional security cameras and further reinforcement for the doors at Wantagh High School and Middle School.

The budget vote is May 15.