Northern Lehigh School District has partnered with a consultant to review its plan and response protocols.

Meanwhile, Tamaqua Area School District is also considering several options as it continues to examine school safety.

Both school boards discussed the concept at their meetings this week in response to the incident in Parkland, Florida.

Northern Lehigh School District Superintendent Matthew Link briefly discussed the district’s All Hazards Plan at Monday’s school board meeting.

Link said the district has a “strong and supportive working relationship” with the Slatington and Walnutport police departments, as well as the Pennsylvania State Police, which serves the area of Peters Elementary School.

He said the district’s school police officer communicates directly with other local law enforcement, and that communication and sharing of information has increased since the shooting in Florida.

“We do quarterly safety walks in each building with a group of administrators, staff, support staff, and our School Police Officer,” Link said. “The School Police Officer and I talk daily about the safety and security of our students, staff, and guests.”

Link said the district is now partnering with a local consultant for Emergency Planning and Response to review the district’s plan and response protocols.

“We will review response protocols to a variety of scenarios, and also review reunification sites and plans,” he said. “This also includes communications plans for internal communications, communicating with law enforcement and other first responders, with students and families, and also the media.”

Link said the district allows local first-responders — such as fire companies — access to utilize its buildings to train and so that they are familiar with the layout of each building, and has offered the same to the Lehigh County Emergency Management Center in the form of opportunities to utilize the district’s facilities and grounds for training and to be familiar with the district’s properties.

“The Pennsylvania State Police have proactively increased their presence in and around our schools,” he said. “For instance, a trooper visited Peters Elementary School shortly after the incident in Florida. He toured our building with the principal to become more familiar with its layout. He also interacted with our students and staff in a very positive manner, establishing a great rapport. Our hope is these visits continue to occur.”

Link added, “Our end goal is to keep our students, staff and guests safe in all of our buildings.”

Tamaqua Area School District Superintendent Ray Kinder said at Tuesday’s school board committee meeting that the district plans to review its safety and security, along with policies and procedures.

“There are many different options to consider when examining school safety,” Kinder said. “The purchasing of equipment, communication systems and building upgrades are all part of that.”

Kinder added, “In addition, schools have entered into agreements with local law enforcement, private security or armed staff in efforts to provide a safer environment.”

“We will be researching these initiatives, and hopefully presenting information to the board on the ones that best fit our unique situation,” he said. “After being directed to pursue a specific course of action, we will develop the policies and procedures necessary to implement our plan.”

Kinder added, “We’re going to try to be practical and reasonable with what we’re looking at.”