MECHANIC FALLS – The School Committee on Tuesday night approved crisis intervention and evacuation plans for the Elm Street School.

Principal Mary Martin said that while certain basic precautions, like limiting and controlling exterior entrances to the school, must be undertaken to be truly safe, a school must rely on more than physical security measures.

“What really can make a difference is communication, so students can feel that they are comfortable bringing safety concerns to teachers and others. Students need to feel a part of things, that they belong at the school and that the school staff and the whole community care about them,” Martin said.

Martin also noted that the school fared well in recent tests of school security conducted by Sun Journal reporters. Martin said that, although the subsequent newspaper article seemed to indicate that the reporter had spent five minutes in the school before being approached, she had confirmed with the reporter that, in fact, the reporter had been in the school for about 30 seconds before being confronted.

“The five minutes spent in the school was after talking with me,” said Martin.

Martin also pointed out that she is getting cost estimates to replace some classroom doors and locks, particularly in the old wing. In a lockdown, Martin said, some doors can be locked only from outside the classroom. Martin said she would seek money for the added security measures in next year’s budget.

The committee also approved a new computerized report card system that lets parents know how students are progressing in meeting standards set by Maine Learning Results.

Special Education Director Barbara Hasenfus told the committee that Mechanic Falls is saving more than $40,000 by sending an autistic student to the autism program at the Minot Consolidated School.

Hasenfus said four students are enrolled in the new autism program, two from Minot and one each from Mechanic Falls and Poland, with each town paying a proportion of the program cost.

According to Hasenfus, Mechanic Falls will be billed about $17,000, far less than the $60,000 that it would have cost to have the student educated out of the district.

“Not only is it cost effective for us to run our own program, but it will be better for the students being close to home and in a situation where they can be with regular education students taking regular art and phys ed classes,” Hasenfus said.