Safety still a top priority for Hannibal schools

Harley McAfee has walked the line between safety and tragedy.
The 11-year-old fifth-grader has had a couple of close calls as a crossing guard at Eugene Field Elementary in Hannibal.
His experiences point to a larger focus upon safety that involves educators, kids and parents.
Even before the latest national reports of child abductions, school bus fights and playground threats, administrators had taken steps to prevent problems in Hannibal schools.
While the effort cannot foresee criminal intent, those involved give the endeavor high marks.
It’s a complex, yet subtle, initiative.
And its effectiveness brings to mind a time when the world seemed much less dangerous.
“If you had more people in the community looking out, you wouldn’t have a lot of things happening,” said Sar’da Quinn, who walks her five-year-old son, Javion, to school each day.

Zoned out
McAfee’s job is to get students to their classes without trouble.
The area around Euguene Field makes it a tough task.
While kids wait for McAfee and crossing guard partner Will MacFarlane to step out and hold up stop signs, Market Street bustles.
A woman on a cell phone speeds through the intersection, oblivious to the 15 miles per hour speed zone.
McAfee is used to being ignored, even when he waves his sign.
“Sometimes, they don’t stop at all,” he said.
To the west, a large truck makes a delivery to a convenience store.
To the east, workers put the finishing touches on a building addition.
There are teachers arriving for work and parents dropping off their kids.
It’s hectic, and distractions are plentiful.
That’s when training provided by the district to staff who oversee the crossing guards pays off.
“You’re always paying attention to everything,” said Eugene Field behavior specialist Mitch Ridout as he greets a student crossing the street.
Even amid the chaos, Ridout stays focused.
“If it’s not a regular routine, or if it’s a different vehicle, then you definitely notice,” he said.
Guards or supervisors who suspect trouble copy down license plate numbers and other data, which are given to police. Speeding is the biggest problem.
“They know to be watchful,” said speech and language implementer Vickie Schoonover. “It’s not the kids who are the problem. The people that don’t obey the speed limit are the problem.”
“We’ve had some close calls,” Ridout admitted. “Most people are like ‘Sorry,’ but they still need to slow down.”

Shared responsibility
Many echo Quinn’s belief that everyone shares the burden of keeping kids safe.
While she walks with her son to school each day, kids who don’t ride the bus must get to school alone or in small groups because parents aren’t able to accompany them.
“I worry about him,” Quinn said of her kindergarten student. “He’s only five. I wouldn’t let him walk to school (by himself) if he was 10.”
In decades past, there wasn’t as much interaction between students and administrators or parents and teachers.
That’s no longer the case.
“Our parents know we’re out there,” said Eugene Field Principal Vicki Dudding.
“You just want to make sure all the kids and families that come to school are safe,” Ridout said.
Hannibal police routinely check for speeders at schools and a patrol car often sits nearby to deter crime.
The department also has a school resource officer who goes from building to building teaching lessons about safety and developing a relationship with the kids.
The officer’s salary is paid in part by the school district.
Hannibal Police Capt. James Hark said the program has been successful.
“We feel it’s been a vital link in reaching out to the community.” Hark said.

Security system
The district has put dollars where its message is.
Installation of a $168,000 state-of-the-art security system was completed last spring.
There is a camera at the main entrance to each of the elemnentaries, and multiple monitors on the middle school and high school campuses.
Each facility also has new electronic locks that allow staff to control who enters.
District Business Manager Dana Ruhl said the system is “working fine” and “cuts down on 80 percent of the footwork” on rare occasions when there’s a minor incident.
“When we do capture it on tape, it’s a little hard for a student to deny participation,” Ruhl said.
The system is part of a larger district network of security measures that includes regular training and situational updates.
“I think we’re more vigilant today and know we need to watch for things,” Ruhl said.
Eugene Field was locking its doors during the school day even before the system was installed.
By the time the camera and electronic locks were in place, parents, delivery people and others were used to the idea.
“I don’t think we ever had anyone who said ‘You shouldn’t leave your doors locked,’” Dudding said. “We’re doing that for the safety of their children.”
Just outside Dudding’s window, McAfee is busy again and doesn’t have time to chat.
This is his first year as a crossing guard.
He’s proud of the responsibility, which is given only to select student, and he’s determined to make sure the job’s done right.
“Some of the people here I’m real connected to and I don’t want to see them get hurt,” McAfee said.