Santa Clarita Valley Schools to Consider More Security : Education: Two districts will discuss buying metal detectors and installing electronic safety systems.

Two Santa Clarita Valley school districts, in attempts to prevent becoming more like “places south of us” and in response to security breaches at their suburban campuses, this week will consider purchasing metal detectors and installing electronic security systems.

The Saugus Union School District today will discuss soliciting electronic security systems for its elementary schools. Last month, two of the districts’ 10 elementary schools were struck by vandals who caused about $11,300 in damages.

The board of the Castaic Union School District on Thursday will consider purchasing hand-held metal detectors. Last month, an unloaded gun was found in a student’s locker at Castaic Middle School. The board on Thursday will also consider the expulsion of that student.

Board members of both districts said Monday that they plan to avoid following the path of other schools in the county and, particularly, in Los Angeles.

“This is a community where we will not tolerate abuse when it comes to our schools,” said Deme Larson, a member of the Saugus Union school board. “We have one of the best school districts in the state, and we intend to keep it that way.”

The support of parents in the district, Larson said, is the key to keeping Santa Clarita’s schools from being overrun by vandals and overcome with graffiti.

School board members pointed to Santa Clarita’s phenomenal population growth as the main culprit.

“There are many, many, many more people here now than before,” said Saugus Union board president Betty Lund. “Society as a whole is having a problem with violence and robbery and vandalism.”

But the problems have not escalated to a point of alarm, Lund said.

“I still feel safe in Santa Clarita,” Lund said. “I think it’s fair to say it’s safe relative to places south of us.”

Two of Saugus’ schools already have alarm systems in place, and systems for the other eight schools could be in place as early as mid-May, said Art Clark, assistant superintendent for business services. The cost, Clark said, could be between $5,000 and $6,000 for each campus.

Castaic Union will look into purchasing hand-held metal detectors, but it is unclear how many of the devices will be used or where.

At least one board member, Gloria Mercado, has already come out against the use of metal detectors.

“They are going to do very little, if anything, to prevent violence, whether it’s violence on campus or around campus,” Mercado said. “This is a deeper-rooted problem that goes beyond what metal detectors can stop.”

The fact that districts in the Santa Clarita Valley are considering such measures, however, demonstrates the arrival of urban problems in what is widely considered a peaceful suburban area, Mercado said.

“Everyone points their fingers at the large urban schools because we know that there is more violence in the cities,” said Mercado, who is an assistant principal at Eagle Rock High School in Los Angeles. “I think it’s spreading all over.” A broad educational effort, Mercado said, is needed in combination with other methods such as the hot line in place in Los Angeles Unified to combat violence and vandalism.

Mercado pointed out that the gun brought to Castaic Middle School belonged to the student’s parents and that parents need to be part of the solution.