Republican forum hosts KUSD board candidates, talk about school security and Red for Ed

KINGMAN – Candidates for Kingman Unified School District board attended the Mohave Republican Forum Wednesday evening. Incumbent Carole Young and Cliff Angle, superintendent of Valentine School District were in attendance to answer questions from the public.

Topics varied during the evening but a recurring topic included school security. Another topic included the #RedforEd movement.

Suggestions for improving school security came up such as adding metal detectors, more security cameras, someone to watch the cameras, and razor wire.

On the metal detector issue, the design of the many schools in KUSD are built with various access points that would be difficult to install metal detectors.

“Many of our schools are not adequate for that type of equipment,” Young said.

Angle added that the design of the schools can be an issue because when they were designed school shootings were not a big issue. He used the Kingman High School as an example of having multiple entry points.

Young did say that the board has been in discussion and have approved that all entry ways to be redesigned to that there’s only a single entry access.

“It’s still a great cost,” she said.

KUSD is also adding more security cameras in schools that the principals and resource officers can access the cameras from a remote location, according to Young.

The audience suggested to have a person at every school to constantly watch security cameras but both candidates said it would be an extra cost and, since the budget isn’t that grand, that money can go into the classrooms.

Audience members brought up the #RedforEd movement and their position on the movement.

Angle said that teachers have a right to speak their piece but didn’t think that was the best way to go about the situation.

Young added that there is a great need for teacher pay raises in rural areas but would have to agree with Angle that the way it was handled could have been done differently.

“I don’t think our teachers should be able to strike,” Young said. “But there is a need and that is the only way they could get it.”