By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
With Nov. 5-11 designated as Michigan Safe Schools Week by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan, Dowagiac Superintendent Peg Stowers Oct. 16 highlighted some ways her district is insuring it provides a safe, secure environment by preventing or reducing violence.
"One new thing this year we do to insure safety is all of our buildings will be doing lockdown drills," Stowers advised the Board of Education meeting Monday night at the middle school. "Not only is that a state mandate that we will be complying with, but we were doing it before.
"Our buildings, principals and staff were very proactive in practicing those kinds of safety measures, in addition to tornado drills and fire drills," she said.
Another addition to safety measures for the 2006-07 school year is that all school employees now wear photo identification badges.
"Our bus drivers are wearing those, our custodial and maintenance staffs, all of our food service folks and all of our employees within the buildings."
Authorized visitors and substitute teachers should also be sporting identification.
"Trying to help parents and visitors in our buildings feel safe about who's in contact with our students," she said. "Dowagiac's a pretty nice place to work and I really appreciate the collaborative nature that people work together to provide safety."