Tougher school security delayed

The plan to upgrade security in Burlington's public schools with cameras, video monitors, and door buzzers has run into a critical obstacle -- money.

School and law enforcement officials have estimated it could cost as much as $539,000 to install the security measures. Until recently, officials had planned to draft a warrant article for the Jan. 24 Town Meeting to request funding for the equipment.

At last Tuesday's School Committee meeting, the board voted to postpone the request. Officials said they will wait until the annual Town Meeting in May to ask for the money.

''That's a lot of money, and right now there's no money in the town budget to take this up in January," said Craig Robinson, supervisor for Buildings and Finance for the School Department. ''May Town Meeting is a more opportune time. It's when the town deals with appropriations."

The School Committee's decision follows several weeks of debate among administrators, police, and parents over the adequacy of school security. A safety committee was formed in October to weigh the concerns.

As the debate continues, Police Chief Francis Hart said he would like to see the schools immediately institute a locked-door policy.

''At a minimum, that's something that should be done," said Hart. ''Even if the town agrees to pay for the security cameras, the doors should still be locked. It would go a long way towards reassuring people about the safety of the schools."

The town has six schools and 3,600 students.

Robinson said Hart's suggestion, as well as other security proposals, will come up for discussion again at the next School Committee meeting, on Jan. 11.

The concerns about safety were sparked by two crimes that occurred near school property in October.

The first incident happened Oct. 1 at 1:56 a.m. when a man was shot and wounded inside a condominium building on Arboretum Way, near the Marshall Simonds Middle School and Memorial School. Hart said the two perpetrators involved in the shooting have not been arrested. One of them fled the scene in a car down Peach Orchard Road and the other ran away. Hart said school officials were told of the crime the next morning.

''The concern was that the perpetrator might have thrown the gun away on the grounds of one of the schools," said Hart. ''We advised them [school officials] that they should lock the doors and cancel recess until we had a chance to search the grounds."

Police searched the area but did not find the gun.

The second incident occurred on Oct. 13 at 3:43 p.m. Police arrested a carjacking suspect after a chase in a wooded area near the Francis Wyman School on Terrace Hall Avenue. A second suspect escaped. Hart said the arrest occurred after most students had been dismissed for the day, although there were some still in the building. Police had notified the school's administrators, who were advised to lock the building's exterior doors.

''There was an after-school program, so there were still people in the building, even though regular school had already let out for the day," Hart said. ''The doors were open. Who knows what would have happened if one of the suspects had tried to seek refuge in the school?"

The safety committee was organized soon after these incidents, composed of two parents, the principals from three schools, Hart, and two other officers of the Police Department. Robinson is the chairman.

''None of these incidents were related specifically to the schools, but they were close enough to merit some concern," Robinson said. ''I've been here eight years and we never had a lockdown. We had two within two weeks of each other in October."

The safety committee drafted a list of recommendations, which are being discussed with school administrators. They include having staff, faculty, and visitors wear identification badges; updating blueprints showing the layout of each school; providing a walkie-talkie system for school staff; and installing security cameras. Another measure suggested by the committee involves locking exterior school doors when student activities are in session.

Christine Monaco, a member of the School Committee, said the final vote on which recommendations should be adopted will not come until the committee reviews the suggestions further in the coming weeks.

''The safety committee has really worked hard to come up with these recommendations but they require more scrutiny before we can decide whether they can be implemented," said Monaco. ''Providing an education in a safe environment is a priority. We want to do the right thing but not in haste."

Alexander Reid can be reached at reid@globe.com.