Johnstown, PA (WJAC) — Parents in the Westmont Hilltop School District have expressed multiple concerns about the lack of safety in the school district.
Our Yazmin Rodriguez spoke with some parents, and the school district, about these issues in another edition of Crisis in the Classroom.
Following what investigators have called a “foiled school shooting plot,” parents have expressed concern and anger about the district’s plan to address safety threats.
Parents say they feel more should have been done immediately following the incident and still feel that not enough is being done now.
“We cannot presume that just because this is Westmont, that they (the students) are going to be safe. Every time we come across a school shooting, we think the phrase, 'that couldn't happen here.'”
But police say it almost did happen in the Westmont Hilltop School District in December of last year.
That’s when investigators say they uncovered a school shooting plot inside the high school.
After the situation unfolded, parents began to question the safety measures at the school district.
“You don't want to turn it into a lock down situation or a quality prison system, you want to let kids be kids, but you have to implement security places and procedures that are realistic for our day in age.”
Westmont Hilltop Superintendent, Thomas Mitchell, declined to go on camera but he did however release statements regarding safety in the district.
Mitchell says immediately following the incident, the school district engaged in an evaluation of their response by their security consultant who made procedural adjustments based on recommendations.
But according to one grandparent in the district, Darlene Geist, the topic of hiring a police presence in schools was presented to parents a while back, so she feels confusion as to why the process took so long.
“They had school resource officers on the agenda for a year or two before this all happened, and they dragged their feet.”
The West Hills and Upper Yoder police departments have been present at the high school daily since December of last year.
Over the summer, the school district requested two school resource officers from the local departments.
West Hills agreed to provide officers but was unable to hire the additional officers and rescinded the offer to the school district.
“All police departments are having a hard time. We went to both our police departments, and they couldn’t furnish us with police officers. And all over the United States this is happening.”
So, the school district contracted Gittings Security Incorporated to provide armed security guards for each building, along with the hiring of a school police officer.
Rob Gleason, president of the Westmont school board, says $285,000 was just given to the district in state funding for more security efforts.
“The number one priority of the school district and the school board is that we have a very strong solid security program and I feel pretty good about it.”
Officials in the school district stress that the safety measures currently in place are more than sufficient, but that’s where parents disagree.
“We are below the bare minimum at this point in time at Westmont Hilltop, that’s all there is to it.”
“We need metal detectors; we need door locks, and we need more cooperation from the administration to implement everything that they have good going now. They need to implement and follow through.”
Those in the school district took matters in their own hands and created a Facebook group called “Concerned Citizens of Westmont Hilltop School District.”
There, parents, guardians and even just concerned citizens post, and even gather monthly, to discuss any issues that may arise within the district.
Those in the group say they have spoken out at school board meetings and have reached out to school administration to see change, but they have not been receptive.
“We want things to change, and we believe that sadly, between the administration and the board, nothing is going to change unless they are replaced.”
“I'm happy to discuss this with anyone; I’ll go to any meetings, but we can’t get into the weeds with it, we cannot tell them what we are doing.”
In his statement, Superintendent Mitchell also said, “district and building level administration will meet with any family of a WHSD student to privately discuss their child or their concerns but school employees are not permitted to discuss or release information about our students."
Now, another issue regarding safety in the Westmont Hilltop School District is the lack of cell phone service.
The board is taking steps to ensure a cell phone tower is placed in the neighborhood, going as far as suing those who are blocking the building of a cell phone tower because it changes the “aesthetic” of the town.
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