GAINESVILLE – “It performed exactly as we expected it to,” said Dr. Aaron Turpin, Assistant Superintendent of Technology for Hall County Schools.
Turpin was describing to the Hall County Board of Education at their meeting Monday evening the test results of the district’s newest tactical security tool: a silent alarm system to alert and coordinate various response aspects should an emergency arise at one of the district’s many campuses.
Turpin said the test/drill happened last week at an undisclosed Hall County school.
“Simultaneously there was communication with the local school officials, with the School Resource Officer, also with officers on patrol and (police) dispatch, with the county sheriff’s department… and Gainesville also responded when they heard it,” Turpin said as he described what happened when the secreted alarm was activated.
“And simultaneously it went out to our buses; the buses in the near proximity heard the drill, and you saw the information that went out via text and via email; we control who those go to,” Turpin added.
Seated in the audience were two first responders whose opinions were sought by School Superintendent Will Schofield regarding the system test: Hall County Sheriff’s Sergeant Seth Day and Gainesville Deputy Police Chief Jay Parrish.
Sgt. Day said, “I think response time is a lot better because it goes straight to dispatch.”
After the meeting Day said, “I do believe the system is going to be a big enhancement…and I think response times will be a lot quicker because of this new system.”
Parrish said, “For law enforcement it’s like being ‘toned-out’ like the fire department; you know where it is, you know where it’s going…getting the information and law enforcement immediately knowing what the cause is, is of the essence.”
Schofield said, “This is the same system you would see in almost every bank in the United States…what you think of as a silent alarm which immediately notifies everybody.”
“We have hundreds of patrol cars all over this community, between Hall County Sheriff’s Department, Gainesville city, Oakwood and Flowery Branch, and the fact that everybody gets immediate notification gets the cavalry there within seconds,” Schofield added.
“The ability to put numerous trained police officers…at a campus that has a situation…within a minute or two at the most, we believe is a game changer,” Schofield stated.
The board unanimously authorized $35,000 of SPLOST V funding to be released to allow the security system to be installed at other Hall County schools.
HALL COUNTY CONSIDERING TUITION FREE SCHOOLING FOR GAINESVILLE RESIDENTS
Superintendent Schofield said years of unsuccessfully trying to extend a tax-sharing program with Gainesville City Schools for students living in areas of unincorporated Hall County that are annexed into the City of Gainesville has led him to view the frustration in a fresh way.
In October, Schofield said, approximately 150 families currently attending Hall County schools will have to begin paying tuition if they want to continue at the Hall County school; if they wish to avoid tuition they will need to transfer into one of the Gainesville City Schools.
Schofield has labeled that as “disruptive to students and students’ families”. He said letters have been sent to the affected families notifying them of the situation. “It’s a very traumatic thing to have your school district changed.”
“Perhaps,” Schofield continued, “it’s time to create some opportunities for Gainesville City students to come this way.”
Schofield suggested that the board begin to consider offering tuition free opportunities for a finite number of students living in Gainesville to attend Hall County schools.
After the meeting Schofield said he favored making tuition-free opportunities available to as many as 300 students.
“If in fact ‘choice’ is what we’re after and giving people options, then maybe for the first time in history we need to provide some tuition free opportunities for Gainesville City students to come to Hall County,” he explained.
“That’s been going on in the other direction for decades, and perhaps based on merit I’d like to bring some ideas to this board about allowing some Gainesville City students to come to our programs of choice.”
“Honestly, I’ll put our programs up against anybody,” he said with emphasis.
