By Brian McCready
Milford Bureau Chief
MILFORD — The front doors of all 15 city schools are now locked throughout the school day.
Orchard Hills School PTA President Melissa Wunder recently expressed concerns that doors at her school and Orange Avenue School were unlocked. Superintendent of Schools Harvey B. Polansky and the principals at each school ordered the schools locked.
“All schools’ front doors are now locked,” Polasnky said. “It’s unfortunate in today’s world people are expecting it.”
Wunder publicly raised concerns at last week’s PTA Council meeting that Orchard Hills School did not lock its doors.
Orange Avenue Principal Stephen Madancy sent an e-mail to parents stating that Wednesday, the front doors to the school would be locked at 8:30 a.m. In order to gain access, a person must press a buzzer, which will be answered by a staff member. He asked parents for their patience and understanding with the new practice.
Anyone entering will be asked to sign in at the main office and receive a visitor’s badge. Madancy said in the e-mail that he is looking for volunteers and or a greeting committee to help the office staff with the new policy.
“Your support and time could help ease the impact this new policy will have at Orange Avenue School,” Madancy wrote.
Polansky said having the front door locked puts additional work on the school secretaries and is the reason volunteers are needed.
Former PTA Council President Susan Glennon said she believes whether schools doors are locked is an issue for some and not for others.
For varying reasons, some feel that the doors should be locked and others do not.
“When my children were in elementary school all the buildings could be and were locked down when need be, but not all the time. I was fine with that,” Glennon said.
“School safety goes way beyond whether or not the front doors are locked. It’s not as black and white as that.”