Folsom High School’s name has been splashed in the media after an act of vandalism on campus as well as an arrest  in September.

In light of the recent incidents, officials said the school has remained committed to maintaining the highest quality of student safety.

Offensive graffiti and shattered windows were discovered by local law enforcement on campus on Sept. 17.

Later, Folsom resident Curt Taras was arrested by the Folsom police department for suspicious behavior on school grounds and violation of court orders. He was then arrested by the FBI for possession of a firearm in a school zone. 

“I was in the big gym having a practice when one of the players came in and said ‘Hey there’s a strange guy in the hallway,’” said varsity boys’ basketball assistant coach Michael Baker about the night of Taras’ initial arrest.

 “I went out and asked him … if I could help him find something,” Baker said. “He … asked if I could help him find the exits, (and) I told him no, exit the door you came through. He kind of pushed back a little bit, argued with me.”

When escorted out of the gym by Baker and one of the girls’ coaches, Baker said Taras was acting suspiciously.

“He was talking about access – he could take the school out in 30 seconds if he had to,” Baker said. “(He was) saying you should just open up the gates and let anybody come on the campus during school hours, asking the direction I thought the students would flow if there ever was an emergency, just a bunch of weird questions.”

Baker alerted the authorities as well as school administration of the man’s unusual behavior.

After receiving a call from Baker, principal Howard Cadenhead drove to campus and noticed Taras near the front entrance of campus.

“He was picking up garbage, picking up rocks that we had that we were holding gate doors open with and he was putting them back,” Cadenhead said. “And so I slowed down, I figured it was him. … I got out of my car, and he started to walk away, walked up to Iron Point (Road).”

Despite Taras” alarming comments, Cadenhead said “he didn’t threaten anyone directly or pull a weapon.”

Cadenhead said police arrived almost instantly. 

“I swear it was like seconds,” he said, “They were already down at the football field and in that parking lot and they came up and arrested him. Super fast.”

According to school officials, the Folsom Police Department’s detailed understanding of the campus and commitment to protecting local schools has helped the school and law enforcement build a strong, positive relationship.

Baker said FHS families can be assured that staff members remain vigilant and committed to protecting students.

With his experience being on the school board in a different school district – and collaborating with the police department in that community – Baker said he has learned about safety protocols and was impressed by the Folsom Police Department’s rapid response to the situation.

Within just a few minutes, assistant principal Eric Eklund was monitoring security from the school surveillance camera, police had arrived and the suspect was in sight.

“I’m proud of how everybody handled the situation, from me to the player to the principal to the vice principal to Folsom PD to the girls’ coach to the boys’ coach, everything just flowed that night,” Baker said.

Cadenhead said extensive training, safety protocols and effective teamwork skills allows the school administration – along with the Folsom Police Department – to competently handle any problems they might face.

“I thought our basketball coach, Coach Baker, did a really good job,” Cadenhead said. “He called me immediately, but he called 911 first … and they were out here in no time at all. We had the stadium gates locked and were just sheltering in place … I think everybody responded well.”

From student government president and powderpuff athlete Eliza Webster’s perspective, Folsom school and police staff were supportive and caring in the midst of sheltering in place.

“Thankfully, we had an adult on campus and (teacher and student government adviser Matthew) Mills came running down as soon as I called him,” Webster said. “I (also) appreciated that the cop came and talked to us, rather than not knowing anything at all.”

Webster said she hopes the school’s crisis communication will continue to improve.

“I think that there should be a way to, like, message any staff that you think are on campus,”  Webster said.

To further their goals of streamlining crisis responses, assistant principal Greg Crannell said the school will be implementing a new Catapult messaging system.

“The Catapult system is a cellular online system which allows people to notify us of potentially hazardous situations and allows us to communicate with all of the school staff in an instant’s notice if need be,” Crannell said. “Currently, we are in the process of training our coaches and implementing that so all of our head coaches will have access to it.”

Catapult messages enable faculty members to engage in campus matters and respond to incidents at any time through the user-friendly convenience of personal devices.

“We’ve got to make sure that if we have a situation about it, everybody gets the message,” Cadenhead said.

The administration’s next step is to work alongside district safety officers to onboard coaches and after-school advisers into the system.

Because of the campus’s location near Highway 50, public parks, neighborhoods and shopping centers, as well as its purposefully porous design, securing the area is a greater challenge as compared to more rural or isolated schools.

Although a benefit of the busy location is that there are plenty of safe areas nearby, Crannell’s goal is to competently control all points of entry and closely monitor campus activity.

“Over the last couple years, we’ve finally implemented the gates system, and we’re now implementing procedures where we’re having the staff and the students enter from two main gates,” said Crannell, “It allows me to work with our video surveillance system, and so typically in the morning if I’m not out directing traffic, I have the cameras that focus on the front gates and the back gates on my TV right here, and I monitor those.”

In the near future, the school is looking to increase the coverage of its artificial intelligence video surveillance system that’s trained to recognize potentially dangerous or uncleared individuals.

Administration would like Folsom families to be aware of the ongoing efforts to improve campus security and allow the school to be not only a safe place for students, but also a hub of activity  able to continue welcoming community members.

“I don’t want parents to ever see our safety and security measures as punitive or prohibitive,”  Crannell said.

As the city of Folsom continues to grow and invite new families, its school system will also evolve and look to address the future with clear and confident steps.

“I think Folsom High School is a very safe place for people to send their kids,” Crannell said.  “Schools are direct reflections of the communities in which they are in. Folsom is an incredibly safe and wonderful place to live, which is why people keep moving here.”