School, LEAP beefing up security

The Lincoln After-school Extended-day Program (LEAP) has begun keepings its door locked at times, and this week the Lincoln Schools will announce measures to increase security in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., school shootings.

When the children are indoors doing homework or other activities, LEAP visitors must now ring a doorbell and be admitted by a staff member. The door will not be locked when children are playing outside under staff supervision, said Susan Callum, program administrator at LEAP, adding that the locked-door policy was put in place after discussions with the Lincoln Police Department.

It’s a minor inconvenience to ring the bell and wait at the door rather than walk right in as before, “I think the parents understand,” Callum said, adding that eventually she hopes to replace the doorbell with a keypad system.

Many other Boston-area school districts have increased their security measures since the tragedy in Newton, Conn., when a gunman forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 20 children and six staff members on December 14, 2012.

Lincoln School District officials and staff have also been meeting with Lincoln police to review security procedures at the Lincoln and Hanscom schools, Superintendent Becky McFall said on Friday. At the Lincoln School, all teachers must wear a visible plastic badge. Visitors are required to sign in at the office and wear a paper name badge, though this policy is not always strictly enforced.

Each teacher has a quick-reference “flip book” crisis manual of procedures to follow in the event of a school evacuation, lockdown, bomb threat, suspicious package or other potential danger, McFall said. There will be an afternoon of additional training for teachers and staff as well as more frequent lockdown drills while school is in session, she added.

The School Committee discussed the issue in executive session at its January 19 meeting, McFall said. She plans to send a letter to parents this week outlining what security measures are already in place, as well as any new steps to tighten security, McFall said.