An overview of the performance of the Valparaiso Community Schools recently included plenty of questions about school safety during a presentation before the Valparaiso City Council.

“We’ve always taken extra precautions with safety in our schools because it’s important,” acting Superintendent Julie Lauck said, adding, “there’s always more you can do.”

The One County One Protocol program established by Porter County Sheriff David Reynolds, which standardized school and police responses to a crisis, “gets us all on the same page using the same language,” Lauck said.

A companion School Guard app, which alerts any law enforcement in the area of a school about a crisis, also is important, she said; the app is optional, but many teachers, staff and administrators have already downloaded it.

The school corporation recently added a director of safety and security as well as a safe visitor program, which reveals whether a school visitor is a registered sex offender and offers limited background checks.

Through a partnership with the Valparaiso Police Department, schools have been assigned resource officers, and hope to add another for the coming school year, Lauck said, as well as set up video sharing with the sheriff’s department and 24-hour building access for the police.

The corporation also will set up an anonymous tip line once its website is redesigned, and Lauck agreed with a community member’s suggestion for an app, which might get a better response from students.

Valparaiso police Chief Jeff Balon added the department has an anonymous tip line via text message.

“It is sort of a sad state of affairs when security is the thing everyone is dominating on,” said Councilman George Douglas, R-5th, going on to ask about active shooter drills.

The schools will hold the drills in the summer with police for teachers and administrators, Lauck said.

“We’re really happy to be opening our buildings, even though they are under construction and we’re OK with that, because anything can happen at any time,” she said, adding the training will include everything from tornados to active shooters. “I want these officers as familiar with our buildings as possible.”

Councilman Robert Cotton, D-2nd, wanted to know how the stress and trauma of school shootings are impacting Valparaiso students.

“It’s mind-boggling that it’s our new normal and it’s not acceptable,” he said.

School counselors, teachers and administrators are “very attuned” to that stress, Lauck said.

“They’re all very aware. It’s a stress for students. It’s a stress for teachers and our whole community. Sometimes students come to (counselors and teachers). Sometimes they have to reach out to students,” she said.

Parents have to be involved, Lauck added, and the schools have to be able to partner with parents to keep a watchful eye on their children.

Valparaiso resident Kevin Cornett asked about arming teachers, which Lauck said is a multifaceted issue that includes examining community values.

“It is a way bigger discussion of, ‘Do you support it?’ ” she said.

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.