BROCKWAY, Pa. (EYT) – The Brockway Area School District had students arrive for the 2019-2020 school year on a Friday, but that was just one of the changes at the school.
(PICTURED ABOVE: Security cameras line the hallway of Brockway Area Junior-Senior High School.)
Brockway Superintendent Jeff Vizza opened the year for his staff by looking at the previous year. He discussed how 2018-2019 had four different phases that he described with terms that the staff understood. He wrapped up his remarks with a reminder of the district’s successes.
“I honestly believe it was a successful year,” he said. “We had a 95% graduation rate. We served 216,000 meals to our students. We traveled 247,000 miles accident-free. We had zero violent acts. These things are taken for granted, but they are necessary for success.”
Vizza highlighted the district’s connection with its community by relaying a story that happened during 7th Grade Orientation at the high school. When he picked up pizza at Paesano’s, he had several pies to carry out. He made one trip and turned to make another when he saw a member of the community following with the remaining pizzas. When Vizza thanked the man, he responded, “Thank you for taking care of our children.”
“We are one with the community,” Vizza said. “That’s important to remember.”
Vizza then transitioned to the major changes in the previous year, which he sees as both a new beginning but also a loss.
“We had 11 people leave last year,” he said. “We lost a combined 287 years of educational experience.”
Brockway replaced most of those teachers, which Vizza said he is excited about bringing in new ideas. Those new teachers are not the only replacements in the district. Brockway also resurfaced the floor of the gymnasium at the high school and is removing old carpeting and replacing that with tile.
Finally, the district installed 17 new security cameras in the high school and four in the elementary. The cameras are hooked up to brand-new DVR systems that are recording the entire campus.
A security camera beside a classroom at Brockway Area Junior-Senior High School.
“The cameras are high definition,” Vizza said. “They can clearly see what’s going on. It’s a big upgrade.”
Vizza told staff members that the cameras recorded a bear investigating the garbage cans outside the school.
The new cameras and DVRs were purchased through a school-security grant. They replaced old cameras, especially in the high school, where some had blind spots. Now, the new cameras are spaced out evenly, forming a straight line if one looks down the hallway.
The cameras are added to Brockway’s other security measures: two school resource officers, security screens on exterior doors, locking cables on interior doors, and new drill procedures.
The changes in Brockway are part of a new focus, allowing the district to keep up with the times while still being connected to its community.
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