Streator High School tables after-school door monitor hire

The Streator High School Board put the brakes on hiring an after-school door monitor Tuesday.

After a job description was shared suggesting the door monitor work five days per week and make up to $25 an hour, board member Gary Wargo said he believes it would be too expensive for the district for what that job entails.

The after hours door monitor would sit at the high school’s front entrance and be responsible for letting in authorized students for practices and extracurricular activities after the school’s doors are locked at 4 p.m. The monitor also would be responsible for taking a walk around the building once every hour to make sure no unauthorized people are inside the facility. The monitor also would call the Streator police if there was an emergency, and the school’s administration for other items.

After reviewing the job description and pay rate, Wargo said the school is not ready to move forward with hiring a monitor. Board President Steve Biroschik said he agreed with Wargo.

Board member Eric Hoffmeyer also said he agreed with the two of them, suggesting the doors should be locked at 4 p.m. and it should be a coach’s or teacher’s responsibility to let in students for after-school events.

Board members also indicated students or staff should be held accountable if they hold open the door or prop it open, allowing for unauthorized people to get into the school.

Board member Rich Tutoky said he’s concerned about the safety of the school and believes the best way to keep tabs of it is to have someone watching the doors. Board member Mike Mast agreed, but he said he would like to see the pay for the door monitor be reduced to a minimum wage.

Board member Heather Baker said there was an incident that sparked the creation of the door monitor position, but other than that, she said there have been few incidents at the school, questioning if the after-hours monitor was necessary. She said the school could post signs at the doors warning students and staff they are not supposed to allow unauthorized people into the building.

A vote was tabled Tuesday to authorize the superintendent to hire a door monitor. Biroschik asked for a consensus of board members, finding five of them were not in favor of moving forward with a hire.