The McDonald County Board of Education approved a new policy on procedures it will use in case of an intruder on campus at any of the district's buildings.
The new policy was explained by Daniel Gardner, school resource officer, who said a change in state law requires the district to adopt some new methods to deal with an intruder other than current district policy of simply sheltering in place.
Gardner recommended the district adopt the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) policy, which will be taught to all administrators and teachers, who will then teach the policy to the students.
Gardner said the biggest change is that instead of just staying down in the corner of a room or under desks, the new policy allows for more of a proactive approach to a threat.
He said the training will vary from building to building, depending on the age of the students and the layout of the building.
He said some of the procedures that will be taught include evacuating the building to a rally point instead of remaining inside the building where the threat is, barricading doors with desks, chairs and anything else to slow the intruder's advance into a classroom and using counter measures against the intruder. He said those measures could be as little as throwing anything available at the intruder and making as much noise as possible.
Gardner said only as last resort should teachers physically confront the intruder.
The training is expected to take at least one day per building, Gardner said. He said he wants to be sure that everything possible to stop an intruder was being taught and understood.
In other business, the board:
• approved summer school bus miles of 57,815;
• approved the publication of the notice of asbestos;
• awarded the contract for copy paper to Sam's Club in Joplin at a price of $23.95 -- two other bids received were $24.30 and $24.37 per case; and
• approved bills in the amount of $344,288.35.
General News on 07/17/2014