NJ school safety: It’s not cheap to protect your kids

It's getting more expensive to keep your kids safe at school.

As much as districts aim to educate students for the future, they also want to guarantee the safety of every minor and adult in the building.

That gets more costly by the year, according to school officials in New Jersey who are seeking additional funding to make the goal somewhat easier to attain.

"Just like everyone else, we have to deal with inflation, we have to deal with costs, and we have to deal with upgrades," said Superintendent of Colts Neck Township Schools MaryJane Garibay.

Garibay and other superintendents made their comments to lawmakers during a virtual meeting held by the Joint Committee on the Public Schools. The Friday hearing was held specifically to discuss the topic of school security.

"Every safety decision impacts real students, real educators, real families, real lives," said Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, D-Mercer, a committee co-chair.

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Security measures, such as cameras or bulletproof film, only last so long before replacement is necessary, school officials said.

Old Bridge Superintendent of Schools David Cittadino said it has also become more expensive to keep school security officers on the payroll. When the district started with a Special Law Enforcement Officer program, the cost was $24 per hour; now the hourly rate is $45, he said.

"There's only so many retired officers that want to do this work," Cittadino said.

And keeping up with the latest technology is far from cheap, Cittadino added. The district has its eyes on an AI-trained camera system that can pick up on a weapon within seconds — and that can mean the difference between a tragedy and a miracle.

The district has priced the advanced system at $100,000.

"I want to have this, and once I've seen it, how can I tell the parents I can't afford it?" Cittadino said.

Officials who testified on the hearing also stressed the importance of focusing on mental health within the schools.

"We want to move from punishing behavior when we deal with students, to changing behavior and reducing anxiety," said James Earle, superintendent of the Trenton Public School District. "We're seeing some reduction in suspensions and office visits and things like that."

In January, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill into law that creates a school safety and security task force. School officials are waiting for New Jersey to announce the members of the new group.

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