Concerned parent raises safety questions; school board assures community meeting, safety measures are priorities

January 10, 2013

Tina Smith

PUNXSUTAWNEY — Discussions continued at Tuesday's Punxsutawney Area School Board meeting in regard to holding a community meeting with the school board and Punxsutawney Borough Council regarding school safety.

Tina Smith of Punxsutawney addressed the board during the two-minute comment section regarding school safety.

Smith said she is not a confrontational type of person or a public speaker, nor does she like to participate in a public debate. But, she said, the topic she wanted to discuss should be a concern for all
parents.

"I feel as the tragic events in Connecticut (the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings) get further and further away, everyone tends to forget about the tragedy," Smith said, adding that the events have caused her to think more about the security of her own children.

"Many districts around us have taken action and adopted measures to better protect their children," she said.

Read the full story in Friday's print edition of The Punxsutawney Spirit.