Pittsburgh Public Schools leaders are reviewing safety and security protocols after two students were able to leave school grounds without permission within two weeks.“It’s an opportunity for us to evaluate all of our processes and procedures around student safety and making sure that, as a district, we are doing everything possible to make sure that our kids are safe at all times,” School Board President Gene Walker said.At Wednesday’s board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Wayne Walters made clarifications after a 14-year-old boy in the Pittsburgh Bridges Academy ran out of Carmalt Tuesday. Walters said he outran his teachers and was spotted and brought home by his bus driver, who did not know the situation. “The student, you know, was in distress, left the classroom. He was followed by staff members. Staff members followed him out of the door, and then he took off running.”The door the student used to leave was a staff door that was unlocked. Walters said that has since been fixed.“It did not have a squealer system on it,” Walters said. “And so we have installed that — that has been installed today. Staff members will be using one entrance.”Last week, a 7-year-old student with autism walked away from Colfax K-8 during recess. The child was found safe shortly after, knocking on a neighbor’s door.Walters said while both students have special needs and left school grounds, the two situations are entirely different, but should never have happened. “Our safety committee, we continue to evaluate ways that we can make our programs more safe, to work with students and staff to make sure that they also feel safe, and to really engage all those in really being allies around protecting space and protecting safety and really creating the warm and inclusive environments that we want in the Pittsburgh Public Schools,” Walters said.Walker said that once the state budget is finalized and funding is restored, he would like to look into purchasing in additional security equipment.
PITTSBURGH —
Pittsburgh Public Schools leaders are reviewing safety and security protocols after two students were able to leave school grounds without permission within two weeks.
“It’s an opportunity for us to evaluate all of our processes and procedures around student safety and making sure that, as a district, we are doing everything possible to make sure that our kids are safe at all times,” School Board President Gene Walker said.
At Wednesday’s board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Wayne Walters made clarifications after a 14-year-old boy in the Pittsburgh Bridges Academy ran out of Carmalt Tuesday. Walters said he outran his teachers and was spotted and brought home by his bus driver, who did not know the situation.
“The student, you know, was in distress, left the classroom. He was followed by staff members. Staff members followed him out of the door, and then he took off running.”
The door the student used to leave was a staff door that was unlocked. Walters said that has since been fixed.
“It did not have a squealer system on it,” Walters said. “And so we have installed that — that has been installed today. Staff members will be using one entrance.”
Last week, a 7-year-old student with autism walked away from Colfax K-8 during recess. The child was found safe shortly after, knocking on a neighbor’s door.
Walters said while both students have special needs and left school grounds, the two situations are entirely different, but should never have happened.
“Our safety committee, we continue to evaluate ways that we can make our programs more safe, to work with students and staff to make sure that they also feel safe, and to really engage all those in really being allies around protecting space and protecting safety and really creating the warm and inclusive environments that we want in the Pittsburgh Public Schools,” Walters said.
Walker said that once the state budget is finalized and funding is restored, he would like to look into purchasing in additional security equipment.