Schuylkill Haven Area School District hires security team

Members of the Schuylkill Haven Area School District's new security team introduced themselves to officials at a meeting Wednesday.

Bill Luckenbill, Michael Sadusky, Roy Eiler Jr. and Tom Curtis will serve as school security guards starting after Thanksgiving, officials said.

All four are retired state troopers with over 25 years in law enforcement.

Luckenbill said he attended Schuylkill Haven and was coached or taught by some of the officials at the meeting.

He said he spent most of his years with the state police on patrol duty across three counties and has worked as a school resource officer at Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29.

Curtis is a ballistics expert who served in patrol and crime units. He worked with the Pottsville Police Department before becoming a trooper and was a school resource officer with Intermediate Unit 29.

Sadusky is a former criminal investigator and supervisor of patrol and crime units and served as Schuylkill Haven station commander.

He retired as a lieutenant and oversaw tactical operations including community emergency response teams, canine units and bomb squads across the state.

Eiler served as a patrol supervisor and spent time with the state police internal affairs division.

Luckenbill and Curtis retired in 2018, and Sadusky and Iler retired this year.

"We look forward to starting here, getting to know everybody and getting to know the students," Luckenbill said.

Superintendent Shawn Fitzpatrick said the security program's first two years are funded by a grant from the state Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Security personnel are to be on school premises eight hours per day.

More than $5,000 and various supplies were donated to the program by Jim Miller and Miller Bros. Construction Inc., Tory Jenkins of Dent Shark, Bill Webber of Bill's Produce, Caleb Huber at Huber Works, Joe Peters of Schuylkill Gun Works, and Craig and Renee Covell of Everlast Roofing Inc., who donated four ballistic vests.

Fitzpatrick noted the security guards are not there to punish students.

"They're not dragging kids to detention, they're there to protect," Fitzpatrick said. "I also want them to build relationships with our students, eat with them, walk the halls with the kids. They're not the type of guys who are going to sit back in that office."

Fitpatrick said the goal is to have security at large sporting events or other school events.

"Our goal is to continually grow this program and make sure we're protecting every child and adult that walks in these doors," Fitzpatrick said.

An amendment to the Pennsylvania public school code passed with the budget in July requires all districts to hire a full-time security officer during thisschool year or obtain a state waiver showing they were unable to do so.

Fitzpatrick said Schuylkill Haven administrators are in full support of the program and that the district created the security guard program because they wanted to, not because it was required.

"It's good for the district," he said.

Also at the meeting, fourth grade teacher Rhonda Johnson announced her resignation after 35 years with the district.

Johnson reminisced with many officials about the time their children spent in her class. She said she will be retiring at the end of the 2024-25 school year.

"I appreciate everything...I will never forget the opportunity I had," Johnson said.