Safety committee, new high school update at city council meeting

Gen. Bob Drolet, head of the 33-member School Safety Task Force committee opened the Wednesday, May 25 Board of Education meeting with good results.

Drolet presented a PowerPoint presentation, which said over the past year, the committee has found that the quality, professionalism, commitment and enthusiasm of all within and supporting the Madison City Schools to be remarkable.

Drolet said the policy and procedure changes the school system has made have been effective in all areas. One of which is the Text-to-Protect line implemented by the Madison Police Department last year.

“Text to protect is extremely useful,” he said. “It’s very, very effective. It is insolubly embraced by students.”

He said when the committee first discussed the line, it thought the next step would be to transition to a similar web-based program. He said Text-to-Protect has been so successful, the web-based program is no longer necessary.

He also said the students react well to School Resource Officers.

“It’s incredible the relationship they’ve built,” he said.

He said the committee is planning SROs needs to support the new high school.

Social media does seem to be a growing problem, he stated.

“The question comes down to how big is the problem getting,” he said. “Social media is a territory for cyber bullying. It’s a form of intimidation is a form of bullying.”

Special programs combined to generate significant involvement, interest and excitement within the entire system.

In conclusion of his presentation, Drolet said things are going in the right direction in terms of safety.

“The entire system is functioning together,” he said. We said in 2010 the system was relatively safe and adequate. It is safer and more secure this year, and on the map, that will continue its positive changes.”

Kevin Gunnison of Volkert & Associates gave an update on the new high school.

Gunnison said the school’s construction is on schedule and the team is 32 to 35 percent complete.

Marty Tatara, supervisor of the child nutrition program said the school system lost $18,929 worth of food when the power went out in the city for almost a week on April 27.

“When you think we only lost 19,000 I know it sounds like of money, if you put it in context, it’s not bad,” she said. “It isn’t good, but it wasn’t that bad.”

Tatara said she is working with accountants to see if any of the loss is covered with insurance.