Palmerton Area School District leaders reiterated this weekend that there was never a safety risk to students after questions were raised last week about the functionality of the high school’s alarm system.

Superintendent Angela Friebolin said in an email to the Times News on Sunday that “at no time was there an unsafe or dangerous condition for students.”

“The alarm in question is not a required feature and not utilized during the school day when students are in the building,” Friebolin said. “Parents have no cause for concern on this matter and we are satisfied with the resolution of the issue. To imply otherwise is irresponsible.”

Friebolin’s comments came after Palmerton resident Richard Banko questioned at last week’s school board meeting whether the high school’s alarm system had been down for several months.

Banko told the school board he heard the rumor at a local auto parts store.

Board President Earl Paules was not in attendance at that meeting, but later told the Times News that he was instructed not to attend by an attorney from Sweet, Stevens, Katz and Williams LLP, the district’s law firm.

“They knew I was going to bring (the security alarm) up and they didn’t want me there,” Paules said in a phone interview after the meeting. “It’s not OK for the high school alarm system to not be working since June.”

Friebolin disputed that account in her written statement.

“At no time was any school board member asked by our legal team to refrain from attending the meeting of the Board of Directors on October 21, 2025, because of anything to do with the security alarm,” she said. “This statement as quoted in the October 23 article is completely false.”

Friebolin’s written statement mirrored comments made at last week’s meeting by Dr. Dan Heaney, the district’s assistant superintendent for academic programs and technology.

“Our doors were still locked,” Heaney said. “We have 24-hour surveillance on the cameras. There were no unsafe conditions.”