DuBois Area School District named 1 of safest schools in state

DUBOIS - DuBois Area School District was named one of the top 30 safest schools in Pennsylvania, according to rankings compiled by niche.com.

DuBois was named 28th in the state and 201 nationally regarding school safety.

The study focused on a variety of factors including surveys from parents and students, law enforcement referrals and discipline records.

"No other thing we do is more important than making sure when the students come in that they're safe and then get home safely," said Darren Hack, middle school principal.

School Police Officer, Janice Bart, said every staff member helps keep DuBois safe from the time someone approaches the building to when they step inside.

Bart said DASD received two safe school grants through the Pennsylvania Department of Education in the past several years. She said the money helped purchase metal detectors, radios and put an armed officer in each of the district's buildings.

"The DASD school police are comprised of retired state troopers and all together, we consist of over 300 years of law enforcement experience," Bart said. "Besides being armed and having our eyes in the building, during the day with the students we may also talk about internet safety, drug awareness or traffic studies."

Officials said safety is a daily discussion and is reevaluated when tragedies strike, no matter how far.

"In the wake of what happened in Florida, those conversations are being more prevalent and it makes us look at what we're doing to make sure it's working," Hack said.

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