School Security Expert To Meet With Solon Community

A nationally renowned school security expert will be in Solon for three days conducting a security assessment on the school buildings.

As part of his time, Ken Trump, the president of National School Safety Security Services, will hold an informational meeting with parents and community members on Monday night, Feb. 4.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Solon High School auditorium.

During this one-hour program, Mr. Trump will conduct an overview of school safety to put present-day issues into context. Parents and community members will be able to provide feedback during the session as an element of the overall district reassessment process.

Mr. Trump will not be answering Solon-specific questions during the session that evening, school officials said.

Trump has worked with Solon Schools before on building security issues. He was rehired in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting as Solon school officials began undertaking a detailed re-assessment of the security situation in the schools.

The steps being taken by school administrators include:

• New Director of Safety: Create a new position of district Director of Safety & Security to provide professional guidance and direction to our day-to-day operations related to school safety and security. It is clear to us that we need expertise beyond what is currently available on our staff.
• Architectural changes to school buildings: Make architectural changes to our school buildings, including, but not limited to, entry points, which make them more secure.
• School-day police presence: Work and plan with city officials as we begin school-day police protection and presence in each building and on school grounds. 
• Re-enforce current security rules: More strictly enforce the security measures we already have in place.
• Practice safety drills more regularly: Practice the safety drills in our schools with more regularity and at different times of the school day so students and staff are prepared for action regardless of what time of day an emergency occurs.