LOWELL — School Committee member Dave Conway has been submitting motions to the administration of Lowell Public Schools Superintendent Liam Skinner for an outside firm to conduct a school safety audit since 2024.
“Obviously, we try to make the school as safe as we can because, let’s face it, there’s nothing more precious than the safety of our child,” Conway said at the March 18 meeting at City Hall. “I think we should bring in an expert, a company that does this for a living.”
The last security audit of the 31 school sites operated by LPS was completed in 2016 by Safe Havens International, which lists several case studies of districts across the country on its website.
School safety has been a focus of the several motions over the years by members who were responding to both parental concerns about unsecured access to school buildings, as well as gun-related incidents.
Conway didn’t get the requested outside audit, but he did receive safety protocol updates for each school from Assistant Superintendent for Schools and Leadership Wendy Crocker-Roberge, who said the district follows “best practices” for “improved safety in our schools.”
Her report included a five-page safety plan, a 47-page crisis plan and several flyers that detailed emergency protocols that she said had been developed with “nationally vetted” and in-house tools.
The documents, Crocker-Roberge said, are available on the district website.
Conway thanked Crocker-Roberge for the response, and suggested that the audit request fell victim to funding issues.
But he also made another pitch to the administration for what he called “subject-matter experts” to review safety protocols, versus staff members attending “conferences,” equating school safety to personal health care.
“If you have cancer, are you going to go to your general practitioner?” Conway said. “No. You’re going to go where the subject-matter experts are so that you have the best shot at it. I will be bringing it up again as soon as we can free up some money.”
Crocker-Roberge’s memo said each school in the district maintains a crisis plan tailored to the specific needs of its students and facility while meeting all requirements set by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
“The Safety Coordinator, in partnership with the Facilities Department, conducts biannual safety audits at each school,” the memo said. “In addition, a comprehensive district-wide safety audit was conducted in 2023/2024 and will be completed every three years. This year’s audits have been tailored to focus on specific safety and facilities needs identified during that process.”
Baseline protocol includes ensuring adequate internal and external safety lighting, locking doors and windows, a keycard control policy, functioning PA system, staff radios, operational security cameras and emergency supplies in all classrooms.
In collaboration with the Lowell Police and Fire departments, door numbering has been completed, and window numbering in school buildings is nearing completion.
Door and window numbering allows first responders to identify specific locations within a school building during an emergency. When emergency personnel arrive on scene, the numbering system provides a common reference system that aligns with building maps and emergency plans.
The district also implemented a districtwide safety committee that works to identify safety concerns, implement preventative measures and promote awareness of safety practices throughout the district.
“A key focus of the committee is ensuring that school facilities are secure, emergency procedures are clearly established, and safety protocols are consistently followed,” the memo said.
As part of its updated coordinated disaster/crisis response and preparedness plan, the LPD confirmed staging locations, rally points and reunification sites for each school.
“In addition, the district has collaborated with first responders to review and confirm emergency evacuation routes for every school building, ensuring safe and efficient movement during an emergency,” Crocker-Roberge’s memo said.
A districtwide threat-assessment tool has been developed and implemented across the district to determine whether a threat is transient (a momentary expression of frustration or anger) or substantive (a more serious concern that requires intervention).
“In some cases, collaboration with law enforcement, mental health professionals, or other community partners may occur to ensure safety,” she said.
Last year, the committee reinstated the Safety Subcommittee and appointed committee members Connie Martin, who serves as chair, and Eileen DelRossi and Dominik Lay with oversight responsibilities for school safety and security and identifying hazards.
The body has yet to meet.
