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With a 44 percent decrease in security guards over the past decade, schools seek more security staff to address a shortage that now forces the district to shuffle officers between multiple schools in a single day.
This issue was a primary focus during a recent Board of Alders Education Committee meeting, where New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) leadership and officials gathered to discuss the security concerns.
Currently, NHPS has 56 security officers, down from 100 in 2010, according to Superintendent Madeline Negrón. While there is funding in the Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget to hire four more guards, Negrón explained that this reduction in staff is due to years of “budget mitigation,” with small cuts adding up over the past 14 years. In addition to security officers, the district has six school resource officers (SROs) from the New Haven Police Department who assist with security.
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Challenges of Managing Security Across Schools
Negrón stated that every school has at least one assigned security officer, while larger schools such as Hillhouse and Wilbur Cross High Schools have higher staffing levels. However, determining the “ideal” number of security staff remains uncertain, as district leaders did not specify a target staffing level during the meeting.
Fair Haven Alder Frank Redente, Jr., who works at Fair Haven School, highlighted the daily security challenges at his school, the district’s largest K-8 institution. He noted that teachers feel unsafe early in the morning, with some citing concerns about homeless or drug-affected individuals near the school. Although Fair Haven has one assigned officer, they are often pulled to other schools in the morning to assist with metal detectors at high schools, leaving the K-8 school without security.
Long-Term Solutions to Address the Security Shortage as Schools Seek More Security Staff
As schools seek more security staff, NHPS Director of Security Thaddeus Reddish acknowledged the challenges of staffing metal detectors, noting that officers often start their shifts at 7 a.m. at a high school before moving to their primary assignments. Superintendent Negrón stressed that resolving the staffing shortage will require long-term budgeting and a steady commitment to increase the security personnel gradually.
Reflecting on past staffing levels, Redente recalled that Fair Haven School once had four security guards in the 1990s, making for a smoother arrival and dismissal process. Both Redente and Fair Haven Alder Sarah Miller agreed that the shortage is a top concern among parents, with Miller noting it’s the “number one thing” parents contact her about.
“I understand the impact of the budget on staffing,” Redente said. “But I would like to see more creative problem-solving around schools like Fair Haven that can’t afford to have no security at any time.”
