How do you guard the sprawling Central Regional High School campus once dubbed "the largest ranch house in Ocean County?"
The answer: not easily.
The 272,000 square-foot building has myriad wings and roughly 25 entrances, Business Administrator Kevin O'Shea said.
Central Regional Board of Education President Keith Buscio said at a recent Board of Education meeting that instead of sharing one Berkeley police resource officer, both the high school and Central Regional Middle School would each have one of their own.
The resource officers will be on duty through June 30, Buscio said.
"We do have to be more vigilant," Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides said. "If you see a door ajar, pull it shut. We have to make sure we change our mindset, be a little more vigilant with our entrances."
The two officers will be paid for with School Choice money, he said today. The state selected Central as a "choice" district last year. Central takes in students from districts around Ocean County and is reimbursed $14,600 per student.
"The officers will be in the school during the school hours and follow the calendar year, but will be used in the community when school is not in session," Parlapanides said. "So Central is basically paying for two police officers for in Berkeley."
All of the high school's entrances were "re-keyed" for added security in the summer of 2011, since the locks had not been changed in years, O'Shea said earlier this week.
"We felt there were too many keys that had been circulated and unaccounted for," he said. "Now we only give a specific amount of keys out to staff each year and have them return them at the end of the year via a sign-in, sign-out process."
"We have too many entrances and need to secure our classroom locks and are adding additional card swipe entrances for better security," Parlapanides said.
Central Regional High School students often go outside when changing classes as a "short cut" to get from one section of the massive building to another.
"In this way, we try to make it more of a college experience, where students go from one building to another," O'Shea said. "But in light of the situation in Connecticut, we obviously want to focus more on security. We might have to curtail that a bit. This is something the resource officers can work with us on."
The police resource officers handle certain student issues, including attendance and residency verification and disciplinary issues both inside and outside the schools, O'Shea said.
The Berkeley police officers are available through a shared services agreement with Berkeley Township, he said.
We should have lessons at home thru the Internet. If you are really concerned about their safety and their education. Oh yeah we would also save 50% on our property taxes and the children would be learning more.
By the way, I have children in the Central Regional school district.
Plus you skipped over the part of home Internet classes being a solution AND saving us on property taxes. Nothing said about armed security costing us even more on our property tax bills. A person that gives up freedom for safety , deserves neither.
Sincerely, Dr. Triantafillos Parlapanides
Sorry Dr . As much as i wish it was true, There is no money tree that takes the place of taxpayers money and since government produces nothing , it will costs taxpayers as it always does. To say nothing that it doesn't make things much safer. You liberals are some funny people. Or is that shady.
For the record we are the only Middle School and High School that are School Choice in Ocean County. So we are doing our part to generate money: taxpayers or corporate. No other middle school or high school is getting an additional $800,000 from the state! We did the paperwork and will be using the money for two resource officers, some tax relief and technology upgrades in the district. You come on here and criticize everything I do. Thats fine I am a public figure and can man up to anything, but just once I would like for you to go into your tepee and come out with some suggestions. You seem to know it all, so maybe the spirits can enlighten you that although it is taxpayer money we are the only Middle School and High School recieving this money! Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Call me anytime to talk, once again here it is 732-269-1100 ext. 206 but you would rather send up smokle signals miles away from behind your computer. Have a great day Chief! Best wishes, Dr. Parlapanides
800,000 sure seems like a lot of money for 2 cops and some technology. Hopefully that tax relief is going to be large because the town and county are going to hammer us. Finally I can't find the joy in knowing that you were so creative to have 2 new police hires and that u look forward when they can write tickets during the summer break. That extra 'revenue' that you speak of , will mostly come from the taxpayers who pay your salary. How many tickets are you hoping they write ? i think the Chief has read the tea leaves on you just fine. Just another public employee who is out of touch. Likes to pat himself on the back. And spend other people's money , even if they have no more money to give.