by Jamie Koerner

    Schools at all levels around the nation are taking a look at safety protocol since the Virginia Tech shootings April 16.
     "There have been a lot of questions [since Virginia Tech]," said Shannon Black, president of the Nebraska Psychological Association. "It is important for people to be aware of students and their behavior."
     The Nebraska Psychological Association website said that warning signs in youth are defined as changes in behavior that indicate a need for "immediate intervention." (See sidebar on 2A)
     "It is hard to predict students who will act out," said Jack Carlson, mental health therapist for Blue Valley Mental Health in Beatrice. "We need to be aware, but not wrap our lives around who could cause problems." Blue Valley Mental Health also has a Seward location.
     Carlson said some warning signs among youth include: frequent isolation, grades slipping, drug/alcohol use, aggressive behavior or an interest in weapons.
     School superintendents for Seward, Milford, Centennial and Malcolm all said that school policies, regarding prevention and protocol in the event of warning signs in students or the occurrence of a violent act in the school, have been reviewed since the Virginia Tech incident or are reviewed annually.
     However, Kevin Wingard, superintendent of Milford Public Schools, said that Milford doesn't always share procedures so that students don't know what school officials are looking for.
     "There's always [questionable behavior] to be looked at," Wingard said. "But what we have to remember is that other things are involved like the sensitive age of students, hormones and misunderstandings between girlfriends and boyfriends."
     Wingard said that misunderstandings can happen and can be solved early. In addition, he said that Milford Public Schools have a great relationship with students and their parents and that there are a lot of resources in Milford and the surrounding area to help if the situation arises, just as it did March 14, when someone wrote a bomb threat on a bathroom stall at the school.
     Wingard said that the Nebraska State Patrol K-9 unit searched Milford High School for a bomb and none was found. He said that the authorities and school administrators determined the threat was written by a student, but currently have no suspects.
     "We learned a lot and [the bomb threat] made us more aware of what we need to be watching for," Wingard said.
     Malcolm High School had an incident in March 2004 when a sophomore student brought 20 homemade bombs and a gun to the high school, said Gene Neddenriep, superintendent of Malcolm Public Schools.
     Neddenriep said that the student used a safety and procedures manual that was posted on classroom walls prior to his attempted attack on the school. Neddenriep said that the student's plan was gauged around how the administration would react when following the emergency protocol in the manual.
     Following the incident, Neddenriep said the school removed all safety and procedures manuals from the classrooms and added cameras in and out of the Malcolm Public Schools buildings.
     Currently, Centennial and Malcolm Public Schools have viewing cameras on the premises. Seward Public Schools plan to install cameras this summer and Milford Public Schools will install cameras by next summer, said school superintendents.
     When dealing with a behavioral problem in the school, Seward County public schools have resources available to remedy the issues.
     Superintendents of the schools said that the public schools have counselors, resource officers, student assistance teams, support and character growth programs and parent/teacher meetings available for the well-being of students.
     One program available to aid students in Nebraska is School/Community Intervention Program (SCIP), coordinated by the Lincoln Medical Education Foundation. The program has SCIP teams at Seward, Milford and Centennial Public Schools.
     The Seward Public Schools website defines the program as "a part of our school services that can help students and families identify causes and behaviors that can interfere with a student's learning and academic success."
     The website also says that students can be referred to the program by parents, teachers and students if they are displaying academic, social or behavioral problems in school.
     From there, the SCIP coordinators create a plan for each student to provide support in overcoming the interfering "causes and behaviors."
     Three Seward County public schools plan to change building entrances to increase security, including one that is waiting for a bond approval that will allow construction of a new entrance, bringing the administrative presence to the front of the school.
     "We are looking at revamping the school entrance," said Brian Maher, superintendent of Centennial Public Schools.
     On May 16, the Centennial Public Schools Bond Issue was to have its vote and if passed the new entrance to the high school, along with other additions including a theater, would be funded.
     Maher estimated the cost of the entrance at approximately $1 million of the total $4.7 million bond.
     Maher said that the reconstruction would allow one entrance to the school, eliminate unscreened access from multiple doors to the school and create a better awareness for administrators about who is in the buildings.
     Malcolm Public Schools have one entrance that can be entered after buzzing the main office to have the door unlocked, said Neddenriep.
     Milford Public Schools have one entrance unlocked and check-in at the main office, but plan to remodel the entrance to increase security, said Wingard.
     Seward Public Schools have designated entrances and the expectancy of guests to check-in at the main office, but are working with security companies to increase security by adding a buzz-in system to enter the school and key cards for employee entrance, said Marlene Uhing, superintendent of Seward Public Schools.
     Uhing said that she believes every school in the Seward County area works hard to provide a secure learning space for its students.
     "I think in the last 10 years the world has made all schools more aware and schools have had to be more proactive in security issues," Uhing said. "I don't think any building can be 100 percent safe-guarded, but overall schools are a very safe place for students to be."