By Lori EhdeAs part of state requirements, all school districts must implement a policy and procedure for dealing with crisis situations.Luverne School District established its policy in 2001, but on Monday last week Luverne Elementary School faculty and students put their crisis plan to the test.In a mock lockdown drill, Elementary Principal Stacy Gillette announced over the school intercom that a lockdown drill had started and that teachers must implement their plans."I was pretty happy with the communication we had set up. The teachers did a wonderful job of implementing all aspects of the procedure," Gillette told School Board members at their Thursday, March 23, meeting."You don’t know where the holes are unless you start drilling."The basic procedure for lockdown is that teachers lock their doors, cover the windows on the doors, secure students in an area, take attendance, and contact the office if a student isn’t in the room (in the bathroom, for example).Rock County Sheriff Mike Winkels and Rock County Emergency Management Director Kyle Oldre accompanied Gillette on a previous tour of the building."It went really well," Winkels said. "They know what they need to work on. That’s the best part of a drill; it tells you what needs attention."He said a crisis that would precipitate a lockdown would be if a mentally unstable student or parent would enter the building with a weapon or other threatening behavior.Winkels said the student shootings in the Columbine School District and others like it are good examples of the need to have a lockdown procedure in place."I think the school here is on the right track," he said.Both he and Gillette identified areas to improve in the plan. For example, substitute teachers aren’t able to secure their rooms, and some rooms, like the library, are vulnerable because they have multiple entrances and multiple windows.In other business Thursday, the board:oAccepted the low bid from Midwest Tennis and Track, Dennison, Iowa, to resurface the high school athletic track. The total base bid came in at $172,626.Work will start on the track one week after school dismisses for the summer. If the track team has members competing in the state meet, alternate practice locations will be arranged.oApproved a five-year contract with Southwest/West Central Service Cooperative for wireless Internet access. The district had been paying about $772 per month for a 1.5 mbps connection. The new contract costs $1,749 per month for a 15 mbps connection. The board agreed the faster connection will be worth the increased cost.oSet a bid date of April 19 for work on the middle school-high school building. It includes tuck pointing, roof replacement over the two small gyms and music departments, floor tile replacement in 12 rooms of the upstairs south wing, lighting in 20 rooms and four restrooms in the south wing, acoustical tile and grids in 20 rooms in the south wing and replacement tiles for the middle school/high school library.oNoted that there will be an Eagle Club Steak Fry on April 8 to benefit the School Foundation.oScheduled a special meeting to discuss a student discipline issue.oHeard from Elementary School Counselor Marie Atkinson Smeins, who presented the "Showcase" item on the agenda. She reported on her job duties and counseling groups, and she demonstrated illustrations she presents for students. Some topics she addresses with students include friendship, bullying, changing families and general character building.oHeard a report on the revised district budget, which is now at $12,368,000. Finance Officer Marlene Mann said, "Break that down and you know why the bills are at $1 million every month."In personnel matters Thursday, the board:oAccepted the resignation of Lori Oechsle as head volleyball coach, effective March 1.oApproved the final seniority and probationary list for certified staff.oApproved maternity leave requests for Amy Dulaney, elementary speech pathologist, and for Michele Brunk, middle school/high school special education teacher. Both are for 12 weeks and both are to begin this summer through approximately Sept. 30.