A new petition that was posted on Change.org at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday has more than 180 signatures from concerned Merokeans.
"We, the parents and residents of Merrick, NY, issue the following statements and join in the following demands of the Merrick Union Free School District, its Board of Education, and Dr. Dominick Palma, the School District Superintendent," the petition reads.
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In the petition, which will be sent to both Superintendent Palma and the Board of Education, there are several demands that have been made for all three of Merrick's elementary schools, including:
- Hiring a staff of New York State licensed unarmed security guards to be stationed outside the entrances of each of the district schools. These guards shall be trained to recognize, deter and react to potential security threats as they patrol the school grounds.
- All discussions, meetings and votes on this matter be transparent, in an open forum, with prior reasonable notice to the public, so that we may participate in same.
"The Board, at minimum, needs to show us that they are addressing security concerns and taking action - just like school districts across the country have already done," Terri Cohen-Lieberman said in the comments section below the petition.
"Safety of our children and staff is the major concern," Lori Topper added. "The recent changes in process will not sufficiently address the issue. We need to act immediately to provide better protection for our loved ones. I respectfully request the Board and administration take the necessary steps now."
For more information on the petition, click here.
Do you agree with the sentiments that are expressed in this petition? Tell us in the comments section below.
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