HHS Principal Scott Dewar tells Harrisburg Kiwanis about school safety

HARRISBURG - Harrisburg High School Principal Scott Dewar told members of Harrisburg Kiwanis what his school and school district do when faced with emergency security issues.

Dewar was the guest speaker at the Harrisburg Kiwanis meeting on Thursday, March 14.

Dewar gave a presentation about school safety, starting with two scenarios from actual occurrences at the high school and how they were handled.

From his discussion of the actions taken, the high school and Unit 3 in general have a safety plan that is very effective. Also, Dewar indicated that everyone involved reacted quickly and was knowledgeable of all procedures. All schools in the district do have security teams, according to Dewar.

He is hoping that resource officers could be added to the schools for support. Periodic drills with law enforcement present keep everyone alert and allows changes to be made if necessary. Dewar indicated that there is now only one entrance to the high school, which is locked at 8:05 a.m. Anyone wanting to enter after 8:05 a.m. must be "buzzed in."

Upon entering, the individual must be buzzed in again to either proceed to the office or the school proper. A committee of students has been established to discuss what students fear or feel is not safe. According to Dewar, when polled, kids felt safe, on a scale of 0 - 10, between 7 - 10. He ended his presentation with questions from members.