A dispute should never have left some Trenton schools without security | Editorial

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora stands with city officials as he gives an update on school security issues in the Trenton Public School District. (NJ Advance Media file photo)

It is unconscionable that thousands of students in the Trenton school district were left without security protection because of a monumental lack of communication.

A simmering dispute involving competing private security companies resulted in personnel from one of those firms not showing up for work earlier this month because of concerns of not being paid.

The security contract quarrel is something the district and the companies will have to settle through legal means, but what school officials should not have allowed is letting students come to school without adequate security in place.

To underline the seriousness of the situation, police and school officials had to contend with a bomb threat at Trenton Central High School's visual and performing arts building while security guards were absent.

In the end, the city had to step in and reassign police officers from their regular duties, where they are stretched thin, to the 21 schools in the district.

Mayor Reed Gusciora said he was "disappointed" that he was not made aware sooner of problems with the school security guard contracts, and that his administration was not given the opportunity to work with the school board "to rectify the situation before it became problematic."

Even after police were assigned to take over school security roles, Gusciora said six elementary schools were left unguarded during the morning hours despite assurances from the district that they would be covered by security guards.

After receiving calls from parents and school staff, the city dispatched police officers to the schools, Gusciora said.

All this commotion comes at a time when parents have every reason to be fearful about the safety of their children at school. Sadly, there have been too many instances of mass shootings in schools around the country.

In the immediate aftermath of the breakdown in security, there has been embarrassing silence from Superintendent Fred McDowell and school board chief Gene Bouie. We need assurances from our school leaders that something is being done to keep our kids safe.

At a recent school board meeting, Trenton Education Association President Twanda Taylor called on McDowell and Bouie resign.

It is evident that the school district's leaders need to communicate and coordinate better with city officials to avoid these unsafe situations. If that doesn't happen, then something must change.

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