SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Public Schools will discuss how to help keep student property safe at Lewis and Clark high school during its Wednesday night meeting.
In May 2022, senior Leilani Santiago voiced concerns about safety in the school parking lot, located under the freeway. She said nothing was stolen, but someone broke her window and poured Mountain Dew into her gas tank. This cost thousands of dollars in repairs.
After Santiago organized a meeting with students, parents, and the school, the principal sought improvements. The school then worked with WSDOT to add more lighting, security cameras, and increased patrols.
"I want to just see it completely stop so that none of our students and none of our staff or visitors are worried about or dealing with vehicle prowlers or their cars being vandalized or broken into," Ivan Corley, Lewis & Clark High School Principal said.
In October this school year, the school installed a single pilot security camera station in the middle of its parking lot. Corley said that camera station alone reduced the number of car break-ins to once every two weeks--instead of every day.
Both Corley and Santiago consider this a major improvement.
"As someone who's often here later at night doing musical theater, when I come out it's pretty dark, I definitely feel much safer," Santiago said.
According to its agenda, the SPS school board is expected to approve a $322,287 contract to purchase and install 32 total cameras for the Lewis and Clark parking lot. That meeting is set for Wednesday at 6 p.m.
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