Schools are at the ready

Marisa O’Neil

With new information that schools in California may have been a focus

for terrorists, local officials said they are as ready as they can be

for an attack.

Orange County schools have not received any specific threats in

the latest public terrorism warnings, but earlier this week the

United States Department of Education sent a letter to school

administrators, telling them to take extra precautions and look for

unusual behavior in and around schools. Then reports surfaced that

more specific information on schools in six states -- two in

California -- had been found this summer on a computer disk in Iraq.

“There’s been no specific threat to Orange County,” said Sara

Kaminske, manager of safety and emergency preparedness for the Orange

County Department of Education. “It’s a good reminder for people to

be prepared and vigilant. But it’s no reason to panic.”

In a letter dated Oct. 6, Deputy Secretary of Education Eugene W.

Hickok referenced the attack on a school in Beslan, Russia, which

killed nearly 340 people. The letter did not cite any specific

information, but asked American schools to take measures to protect

their sites.

Most of those precautions are already in place in the Newport-Mesa

Unified School District, Supt. Robert Barbot said. He receives

updates on any dangers or warnings, including the latest one, he

said.

“We’re all concerned [about threats],” Barbot said. “We remind

principals to stay vigilant, listen to kids and report anything

unusual. We’re as prepared as we could be in an open society, but

we’re always trying to stay one step ahead.”

The district has plans, runs drills, keeps principals informed and

passes on information to teachers and administrators that would help

them run a safe campus, said the district’s risk manager, Connie

Duddridge. Schools in the district also have closed campuses with

only one entrance and exit to restrict access.

“The world is different now, and we have ramped up accordingly,”

she said.

Besides their drills for earthquake and fires, campuses also run

intruder drills, if the school goes under lockdown, she said. They

also encourage principals to think on their feet and have contingency

plans in place.

The letter also warned schools to watch for suspicious people

taking photographs or for vendors who loiter around a campus every

day.

“We keep our eyes open, and when we’re out on [playground]

supervision, we watch the gates, making sure there’s nobody here who

shouldn’t be here,” said Rea Elementary School’s Jeff Gall.

Schools have the challenge of balancing educational needs with

safety concerns, Barbot said.

But there’s only so much people can do without it disrupting their

normal lives, Corona del Mar High School PTA President Jill Money

said.

“I think school is one of the safest places they can be,” Money

said. “We’re not going to let it ruin our normal schedule.”