New security measures expected at Philipsburg-Osceola middle school. Here’s why
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- New security measures are expected at Philipsburg-Osceola Area Middle School.
- The steps aim to give staff more time to check students’ bags each morning.
- The changes arrive after a student brought weapons to school.
The Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District will implement new security parameters at its middle school after a student brought weapons onto its campus.
Starting Tuesday, Philipsburg-Osceola Area Middle School’s doors will open at 7:20 a.m. to give staff more time to process students entering the building and check their bags and belongings for prohibited items. The school is also no longer requiring students to change clothes for gym classes “until further notice” — a move that aims to reduce the number of items checked by staff members during check-in each morning, Superintendent Daniel Potutschnig wrote in a statement Sunday.
The middle school is expected to adjust its daily schedule starting Oct. 20 to provide additional time for bag searches and student check-in each morning. More information on this change is expected in the coming days from Brian Pelka, the middle school principal.
“We appreciate your understanding and support as we make these adjustments to ensure a safe and orderly start to each day,” Potutschnig wrote.
The new security measures arrive after a middle school student “was found to be in possession of an airsoft pistol and a knife” on Friday, Potutschnig said in a statement. Following an investigation, the district concluded the student had no intentions to cause harm “but did make a very poor decision in bringing those items to school.”
For now, it’s unclear how long Philipsburg-Osceola’s middle school plans to enforce the new security measures. District officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Centre Daily Times on Monday, which is an in-service day for teachers but a day off for students.
Philipsburg-Osceola’s high school implemented several new security measures in 2024 with the help of a state grant. These included the installation of crash bars for doors, door intercoms and door fob access points, as well as upgrades for some of the district’s metal detectors.
Under existing policies, students must walk through metal detectors to enter the middle and high schools and must use metal mesh or clear backpacks.
New security measures in the Philipsburg-Osceola district arrive a few months after State College’s district implemented a host of its own changes. Those steps — which require some students to wear school IDs on district property and undergo random searches — took effect for the 2025-26 school year in response to the arrest of a Mifflin County man who was accused of planning a mass shooting at State College Area High School. He was sentenced to time served — about 5 1/2 months — to one day short of five years in jail and released on parole Sept. 26.
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