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By Chris Rosenblum
SCASD Director of Communications
A lot has changed this fall at State College Area High School — new bell schedule, relocated South Building main office, ongoing State High Project construction.
Another difference, clad in neat uniforms, is helping everyone smoothly adjust.
A quartet of private guards from the State College security firm of Payton & Associates now greet and escort visitors, assist students and monitor hallways and parking lots. They’re split between the North and South buildings, boosting the school’s security presence by joining staff security officers Rick Rudolph and Jason Walker and School Resource Officer Terry Stec.
School administrators and staff say the extra guards have been a successful addition so far.
“They are very visible. I think that’s good,” North Building office secretary Dawn Hill said. “They’re very professional-looking and very courteous.”
Hill said she and her co-workers have appreciated the guards’ assistance.
“They have been responsible for the majority of the escorting this year, which has been very helpful for the main office,” Hill said. “We’re able to help people more in our duties and allow security to take care of the safety issues.”
All of the guards, Hill noted, have been “very good at learning the school and the new block scheduling, so they can be in the right place at the right time.”
Interim Principal Curtis Johnson said he has especially appreciated the guards’ help with monitoring lunch periods and keeping potential “issues from rising to the level of coming to the administration.”
“Without a security guard there, things might get a little out of hand between two students at lunchtime, and then that issue would escalate and be in my office,” Johnson said.
“It puts extra eyes on what’s going on at the school,” he added.
Throughout days, Hill said, the guards take a “proactive” approach to maintaining security, assisting South and North building parking lot attendants checking for correct parking and departing students, and walking the corridors inside.
“In fact, they go around and check the doors,” Hill said. “They make sure nothing’s propped open with rocks or something else the students have left, which is a huge help.”
School administrators anticipate the guards will be of further assistance when the State High Project construction begins in earnest and students are walking between the buildings past work in progress.
Johnson said he thinks the guards’ presence will keep students moving along a designated, fenced-in transit route, and should discourage loitering to peer at construction and taking shortcuts across no-trespassing areas.
“It never hurts to have more sets of eyeballs,” he said.
Chris Rosenblum can be contacted with SCASD story ideas at 272-8699 and jcr19@scasd.org. Follow him on Twitter @CRosenblumNews.
Extra security guards boost safety and stability at State High
By Chris Rosenblum
SCASD Director of Communications
A lot has changed this fall at State College Area High School — new bell schedule, relocated South Building main office, ongoing State High Project construction.
Another difference, clad in neat uniforms, is helping everyone smoothly adjust.
A quartet of private guards from the State College security firm of Payton & Associates now greet and escort visitors, assist students and monitor hallways and parking lots. They’re split between the North and South buildings, boosting the school’s security presence by joining staff security officers Rick Rudolph and Jason Walker and School Resource Officer Terry Stec.
School administrators and staff say the extra guards have been a successful addition so far.
“They are very visible. I think that’s good,” North Building office secretary Dawn Hill said. “They’re very professional-looking and very courteous.”
Hill said she and her co-workers have appreciated the guards’ assistance.
“They have been responsible for the majority of the escorting this year, which has been very helpful for the main office,” Hill said. “We’re able to help people more in our duties and allow security to take care of the safety issues.”
All of the guards, Hill noted, have been “very good at learning the school and the new block scheduling, so they can be in the right place at the right time.”
Interim Principal Curtis Johnson said he has especially appreciated the guards’ help with monitoring lunch periods and keeping potential “issues from rising to the level of coming to the administration.”
“Without a security guard there, things might get a little out of hand between two students at lunchtime, and then that issue would escalate and be in my office,” Johnson said.
“It puts extra eyes on what’s going on at the school,” he added.
Throughout days, Hill said, the guards take a “proactive” approach to maintaining security, assisting South and North building parking lot attendants checking for correct parking and departing students, and walking the corridors inside.
“In fact, they go around and check the doors,” Hill said. “They make sure nothing’s propped open with rocks or something else the students have left, which is a huge help.”
School administrators anticipate the guards will be of further assistance when the State High Project construction begins in earnest and students are walking between the buildings past work in progress.
Johnson said he thinks the guards’ presence will keep students moving along a designated, fenced-in transit route, and should discourage loitering to peer at construction and taking shortcuts across no-trespassing areas.
“It never hurts to have more sets of eyeballs,” he said.
Chris Rosenblum can be contacted with SCASD story ideas at 272-8699 and jcr19@scasd.org. Follow him on Twitter @CRosenblumNews.