ADMINISTRATION BUILDING 835 OLD CLAIRTON ROAD JEFFERSON HILLS , PA 15025 PHONE 412.655.8450 FAX 412.655.9544 www . wjhsd . net
MESSAGE FROM
Dr . Michael Ghilani West Jefferson Hills School District Superintendent est Jefferson Hills WEST JEFFERSON HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
SAFETY AND SECURITY COME FIRST
The safety and security of our students and staff is our number one priority . When we laid out our three-year plan at the beginning of the school year , student safety and security was a major focus . I knew from the minute I arrived in the district that major upgrades were needed to create a climate that was truly safe and secure . Although we have made great strides in improving safety and security , we will continue to build upon these measures as we grow and move forward . Here is an update of the district ’ s safety and security enhancements to date .
A dedicated SPO ( School Police Officer ) was hired at Thomas Jefferson High School this year to coordinate district safety and security and focus on the day-to-day safety of our high school students . Officer Jim Modrak , former police officer and SRO for the Bethel Park School District and municipality for over twenty years , was hired in September 2017 . Previously , the high school had only one contracted security guard that was unarmed and had no arrest powers or police training . Officer Modrak will work with Officer Porupsky ( Pleasant Hills SRO ), and a Jefferson Hills SRO that would hopefully be added for the 2018-2019 school year , to coordinate all security initiatives in the district . A Safe Schools Grant was secured for two years for $ 40,000 to help offset the cost of adding Officer Modrak . Discussions are taking place with Chief Roach and the Jefferson Borough Council to add an SRO position at Jefferson Elementary School . Ultimately , it is my goal to have at least one armed police officer or guard in every school building in the district .
Plans are underway to construct captured entrances at PHMS and Jefferson Elementary . This provides an additional layer of security while enabling the building secretaries to better screen people entering the schools . Cameras were also upgraded at all of our schools this year , and walkie-talkies were added across the district and with our transportation provider to allow for emergency communication anywhere in the district . Additional enhancements and upgrades to the camera system are planned for next school year . Local police departments will be added to the system so they can see inside any building during an emergency situation . The district is also installing the AUXLOC door locking system on every classroom door in the district to prevent an active shooter from being able to enter a classroom . At the new high school , the security system enables every door in the building to be locked in an instant with the push of a single button . As an added precaution , we are also exploring the feasibility of adding metal detectors to every entrance in the new building . The metal detectors will not only act as a deterrent , but will allow us to capture other illegal metal items
40 WEST JEFFERSON HILLS that students may be bringing into the school such as vape pens , knives and drug paraphernalia .
The district also purchased crisis management software this year to provide first responders with a visual of every room and space within our school buildings . Additionally , it provides a single-stop for all emergency information and coordination during a crisis . To strengthen ties with our first responders , a lunch meeting was held at the Pleasant Hills Borough Building this past Fall for all Police , Fire , Paramedics , EMTs , and school district personnel to improve communication and collaboration between all of the departments and companies that serve our municipalities . It is our goal to conduct these meetings at least twice a year moving forward .
Addressing and combating the drug epidemic that is sweeping our region was also a huge concern heading into this school year . To think that our communities and students have not been affected by drugs would be both naïve and foolish . In an attempt to deter any use at school , we started implementing unannounced drug-sniffing dog searches and the use of saliva-based drug and alcohol screening kits to be used by administrators at the high school and middle school pending reasonable suspicion that a student is using or under the influence of a substance . We continue to offer drug education programming at the elementary and middle schools and are looking to expand and align the program across all of our buildings K-12 . Continuing to educate our students on the dangers of substance use and abuse while being extremely aggressive in deterring and preventing their use while at school will remain a constant for our district moving forward .
Although we have made many strides this year and have a solid plan for the future , there is still a great amount of work to be done to ensure our students ’ safety and security and to combat the drug epidemic that is sweeping our communities . Ultimately , it will take a team effort amongst the school , parents , and local law enforcement areas . A major area of need that I personally see is better educating our parents on the use of technology and how to spot the warning signs of substance abuse and / or mental illness . Our children live on their electronic devices , yet many times parents have no idea what their children are doing or where they are going in the confines of cyberspace . Building capacity among parents in this area will have a tremendous impact on the safety and security of our children . If we all learn to adopt a level of vigilance , build resources and work together for the common goal of keeping our kids safe , we can have a tremendous impact on our school community and , ultimately , our children .