Allen East looks to strengthen security

HARROD — Allen East school board met at their regularly scheduled meeting in the auditeria at the school, looking to address an issue that is likely close to the heart of every parent in that district.

The school board took a major step to increase school security. Allen East is a school district that has all grades on one campus. Among the items approved, the superintendent, Mel Rentschler, recommended that the Allen East Board of Education under the provisions of HB 99 enter into an independent contract agreement with Donald Dawson to provide armed security for the school district.

Dawson’s authority is within the school safety zone, which includes school buildings and school premises, school activities and school buses. Dawson must be certified as a peace officer through the Allen County Sheriff’s Office and be certified to carry and use a firearm within a school safety zone.

The vote for approval was unanimous.

“We had some people that are upset teachers and we listened to them,” Rentschler said. “I did not want to put guns in their hands because they’re teachers. They didn’t go to college to do that. They didn’t go to get their peace officer training. I think [with] House Bill 99, you only need 24 hours of training. That’s not enough. So we made a conscious decision to get a hold of the sheriff’s department and help them find somebody and they did find some way for us to do it. So there will be a gun in the school. It’ll be a police officer.”

Many area schools have school resource officers to assist with school safety. Allen East already has a resource officer. The new position will be strictly security. The new hire is expected to be on campus in the very near future.

Reach Dean Brown at 567-242-0409.

Dean Brown
Dean Brown joined The Lima News in 2022 as a reporter. Prior to The Lima News, Brown was an English teacher in Allen County for 38 years, with stops at Perry, Shawnee, Spencerville and Heir Force Community School. So they figured he could throw a few sentences together about education and business in the area. An award-winning photographer, Brown likes watching old black and white movies, his dog, his wife and kids, and the four grandkids - not necessarily in that order. Reach him at [email protected] or 567-242-0409.