At a meeting at my childrens' school yesterday, I was told by the secretary that while the superintendent had, indeed, told everyone concerned that all adults not employed by the school should, upon entrance to the building,
sign in at the office, he was not serious and that it was not actually required. The principal backed her up, stating the the school's lawyer had told him that accounting for adult presences in the building in such a manner was unnecessary. So we are back to everyone from the local Avon lady pimping last year's lipstick shade in the hallway to the local sex offender registrants dropping in to use the restrooms. A "visaul" sign-in, wherein the secretary personally knows everyone who might pop in for some reason, and remembers each and every person who passes through the office will be just fine, no need to take the same precautions the rest of the nation's schools take in protecting children. And, oh.....the secretary absolutely knows everyone who might enter the school, too. And she is clairvoyant enough to know exactly which people present danger or have ulterior and unlawful motives and which people are innocent parents. Without a doubt. She will also psychically know if someone has gotton into the building, completely escaping her notice, and is hiding out in the janitor's closet, at which time she will call the principal and the football coach, who, in turn, can handle any emergency. This makes me uncomfortable, as my children are entitled to a safer school experience than that. It also is not compliant with the requirements of public schools in the rest of Kansas, or America, for that matter. It also is not only a tragedy waiting to happen, but a liability waiting to happen, so I decided to skip the normal channels I usually use when providing government employees with new anal passages and called
Insurance Services of Seneca, who covers the school's insurance needs, and spoke with a young man named Matt Bachman about the liability and risk with which his company is involved. He listened, and was a bit surprised that the school board was unconcerned about students and their safety. It was also a bit of a surprise to hear that the superintendent would promise a parent one thing, and immediately negate that promise without telling the parent. What stunned him the most, though, is the statement I made about missing children, evidence, and law enforcement. If a child were ever to disappear from that particular school, law enforcement and the FBI would need a written list of every, single adult to enter the building on the day said child went missing. "Visual" sign-ins and the wiles of an inexperienced secretary DO NOT count. Without that information, a crime such as a kidnapping could take years to solve, if it was ever solved. As a taxpayor, I certainly have a right to higher standards than that for my children. Another thing about which I made him aware is this: if anything unsavory happens to any of my children at this school, and investigations reveal that it could have been prevented with simple accountability that was not implemented, I WILL take action. It will be an open and shut case, because children do have rights to appropriate protection, and after my lawyer is paid, someone WILL be making a hefty donation to the
National Center For Missing And Exploited Children. If not the school district itself, the insurance company who covers the school district would probably have to pay. Insurance companies will not cover drivers who consistantly get pulled over for DWI, and they quibble about pre-existing conditions; well how is allowing the public at large access to a school for a pre-existing condition?
Thankyou so much, Matt Bachman, for listening to me, and thankyou for caring enough to try to stop a tragedy before it happens.
