The Wallingford Board of Education is asking the town to approve additional funds to tighten security at the town’s twelve schools.
The board is looking for $1.2 million on top of their regular annual budget and plans to fund four armed school resource officers, panic buttons for staff and over a hundred security cameras. Each of Wallingford’s two high schools and two middle schools would be assigned one of the armed school resource officers.
Melissa Landino, whose daughter is a junior at Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford, said schools do need better security than what they have now.
“I think at least having a few armed guards and maybe a panic button is good,” Landino said.
Dr. Salvatore Menzo, the superintendent of schools in Wallingford, said they have requested school resource officers every year for the past three years, but funds were not allocated. Though the effort to strengthen security was underway, Menzo said the February school shooting in Parkland, Florida, inspired him to approach students for ideas.
Menzo said students of both of Wallingford’s high school’s expressed worry over school safety and mental health. Their concerns, coupled with those voiced by parents in an open forum held by town officials last month, prompted the decision to ask for additional security funding now.
If all of the funding requested is not approved by the town, Menzo said the board of education may look to fund the purchase of some items, such as panic buttons, with money saved from this year’s budget.
