O P I N I O N

THE SOAPBOX

Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.

When it comes to decisions regarding school safety, school districts across New Hampshire differ greatly in how they involve and even communicate their safety plans with their communities. Some school districts work closely with their Parent Teacher Associations to raise funds for building improvements related to their school buildings’ safety. Other school districts keep all discussions regarding school safety mum.

In Goffstown, a group of parents calling themselves Goffstown Parents in Action are asking for a seat at the table in their school district when it comes to decisions regarding the safety of their students. In May of 2022, after the Robb Elementary tragedy, the group of parents met in the boardroom at Girls at Work in Manchester for the first time to talk about how they could organize to make small or large changes to make their children’s schools safer. The group, largely satisfied with their school district, recognized still, the need for continual improvement and innovation. Parents from all political backgrounds participated, and the group began reviewing the 59 recommendations made in the Governor’s 2018 School Safety Task Force and, within those recommendations, searching for best practices.

The group has had some successes, including suggesting a tip line that was shortly after, implemented in the schools, asking their local police department to create a safe firearm storage training to record and play on local access television, the disbursement of free gun locks at community events, and the implementation of signs on the fronts of school doors that ask for parents not to let other parents or visitors through the doors, and rather to “ignore the door” and let them be buzzed in.

But when it came to a building improvement with a capital expenditure of a modest $13,000 that would greatly improve the safety of every classroom at every school in town, the group was met with resistance in the name of all things – security. As parents, they are not welcome to participate in conversations and decision-making regarding school and building safety.

Goffstown Parents in Action offered to raise funds themselves. They even found a licensed contractor to install the improvement for free, but with little response, the group found themselves having to collect signatures from citizens and petition a warrant article for the citizens of the town to raise the $13,000.

While school administration, school board members, and public safety leaders are important, knowledgeable, and valuable stakeholders in school and building safety planning, parents and students may be the most valuable of all. They should not be overlooked as a crowdsource of talent, knowledge, skill, and, most importantly, those with the strongest desire and drive of all to keep their children, the students, safe. And while some conversations regarding safety plans should certainly be held in confidence with school and safety officials, there may still be room to involve those to whom it may matter most.

Citizens of Goffstown can hear more about the citizen’s petition warrant article from Goffstown Parents in Action regarding the building improvement for school safety on January 9th at the Budget Committee Public Hearing, February 5 at the School Deliberative Session, and citizens will take their vote on Tuesday, March 12 during town and school elections.

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