FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The Fort Wayne Community School Board has voted to include a safety and well-being referendum on your November ballot.
After holding several public meetings over the last few months the board held the meeting Monday night. The money would go towards students social emotional well-being as well as security enhancements that district representatives say would include portable weapons detection systems for secondary schools.
FWCS representatives released the following:
The Fort Wayne Community Schools Board of Trustees voted Monday, June 12, in support of a plan to make the schools safer through a safety and well-being referendum. If approved by voters, funds from the 8-year referendum would pay for a variety of safety initiatives, including additional staff members to support students and address mental health needs along with security enhancements.
The staff increase would include adding three members to the security team, nine additional school resource officers, 56 student advocates, 17 mental health therapists and expanding the Alive Peacemaker program. The student advocates and therapists are key components of the safety plan. The student advocates primary responsibility would be to support students and help maintain a productive and safe learning environment. The student advocate will be another trusted adult in the building that students can turn to if they have a concern or just need someone to talk to other than a teacher or school administrator. The mental health therapists would focus on early intervention and treatment services for students in cooperation with families and community resources. They will provide support for students’ social emotional well-being as they work through trauma, stress, anxiety, grief, depression and self-regulation.
The security enhancements that would be purchased and installed through this referendum include portable weapons detection systems for secondary schools. The devices can be used at school entrances as well as co-curricular events, adding another layer of safety. The referendum would also pay for enhanced exterior door lockout systems, intrusion alarms, new cameras, handheld radios and additional classroom door locks.
Based on the average homestead property value in the FWCS district, this safer school initiative would cost homeowners a maximum of $6 per month. The referendum will appear on the Nov. 7, 2023, ballot.
