Levittown Schools: Summit Lane Parents Urge Safety Measures

By Dave Mock

More than a dozen parents of Summit Lane Elementary School students converged on the Nov. 12 Levittown Board of Education meeting, asking that the board increase security measures there.

Most of the parents who spoke said that their request comes from a number of recent incidents and existing conditions they say leave Summit Lane's children (kindergarten through fifth grade) open to being attacked by outsiders. Some of them urged measures like having someone monitor the door and installing video cameras.

Levittown Superintendent Dr. Herman Sirois said the administration doesn't believe a specific danger exists yet at Summit Lane. He said, however, that the school board would most likely discuss it during its budget hearings.

Clear and present danger? Summit Lane parent Diane Lentini recounted a list of incidents she said justified increased security. Lentini said that on July 14, a male intruder was caught sleeping on the couch in the faculty room. She added that two months later, on Sept. 29, a student at Salk Middle School was approached by two young men in the Salk-MacArthur High School parking lot.

Then on Oct. 21, she said, a Plainview man was arrested on Schoolhouse Road for allegedly attempting to lure young schoolgirls into his parked car in the Tri-County Flea Market.

Lt. Anthony Rocco, commanding officer of the 8th Precinct, confirmed that an intruder was seen in the Summit Lane faculty room on July 14. Rocco added that the suspect, a Levittown resident was also seen moving through the building allegedly removing some computer equipment.

The suspect was arrested in the Tri-County shopping center and charged with burglary, said Rocco, who added that the case is still in the pre-trial stage.

Of the Salk incident, Rocco said two teenagers were sitting in the parking lot of the school and approached a younger student, trying to initiate a conversation. The student fled, said Rocco, who added that the case was still open.

The 8th Precinct inspector also confirmed the arrest of a man who tried to lure female students in his parked car. "He would see a young girl pass (ages 14, 15); he would ask them if they'd like to be in a movie. He indicated that he could help them get working papers." The suspect indicated that they would have to have their picture taken in their underwear, Rocco said.

In that case, Rocco said that the subject allegedly approached two separate individuals, who fled as soon as the conversation would get uncomfortable. "The two people who made the complaint gave very generic information," the inspector said.

An 8th Precinct officer had seen him several days earlier driving around with no specific information, and gave him a field interview, on the grounds of suspicious behavior. "We were able to link the two (incidents) together, which gave us a plate number," Rocco said. The case is still in preliminary hearings, he added.

Districts' safety measures: Trying to compare safety measures, Summit Lane parent Lentini said she surveyed nine other nearby school districts, including East Meadow and Wantagh. East Meadow has a video camera with a VCR and welcome desk at Clarke, McVey, Parkway and Barnum Woods schools, she said. And Island Trees has a receptionist at J. Fred Sparke Elementary School and a welcome desk at Michael F. Stokes Elementary School, she said.

"I believe the goal of a safer school and secure school grounds can be achieved if our elected officials are willing to work together with the parents and residents on the particular needs and desires of the community," Lentini said. "Let the goal for a significant increase in security not be viewed upon as a hindrance, but instead viewed upon as a necessity."

Fellow Summit Lane parent Rhonda DeSimone said she was surprised there is no door monitor at Summit Lane, where 5-year-olds "attend and travel the halls."

"I wouldn't let anyone in my home where my three children are unless I monitored who was there. I would expect at least the same from an institution which is entrusted with the care and security of over 500 children."

In addition to what they called a lack of door security, some Summit Lane parents mentioned that the elementary school is easily accessible from Hempstead Town's L-2 parking lot, as well as the yard of Division Avenue High School.

Superintendent Sirois said Friday that the administration has not noticed a trend of threatening incidents at Summit Lane, but added that Assistant Superintendent Dr. Alan Groveman is himself surveying other districts, with the results to be known within a week or two.

'Our schools are safe:' Sirois said that immediate attention will be warranted if there's a cycle of incidents against children in school buildings, or if other surrounding districts have door monitors.

"Our schools, thank God, are safe," Sirois said. "At this point, we don't believe that a specific danger exists. However, we don't want to take it lightly."

Summit Lane Principal Dr. Sally Evans added that people who enter the front door have to sign in, and teachers are instructed to ask "May I help you?" to any unfamiliar person they see in the hallway.

About the measures the parents proposed, Evans said that she wouldn't oppose having a salaried door monitor if people feel more secure and the district wants it. But she said having security cameras and an entrance buzzer "would be a horror show," adding that someone would need to be watching a bank of monitors all the time.

"My view is that the schools are less vulnerable by far than walking home from school, the Internet, answering the phone when nobody's home," said the Summit Lane principal. "I think they're confusing the dangers out there in our society with the purpose of schools."