Oak Park and River Forest High School is on the search for a new director of campus safety after Cindy Guerra resigned from the position on Nov. 27.
Guerra, a former Chicago Police Officer, was hired July 13, replacing Cherylynn Jones-McLeod. Jones-McLeod also had a relatively short tenure, resigning after only a year in the position.
In her time at the school, Guerra had a successful career. She coordinated the shortest fire drill in OPRF history, at just above six minutes. She also was in constant contact with local police, claiming that the school under her watch was “proactive, not reactive,” during the Oct. 26 board meeting.
At the same meeting, Guerra said her approach to safety was founded on collaboration and communication in order to involve law enforcement in regards to situations such as threats of violence, medical emergencies and safety drills. The security team was also having bi-weekly meetings to discuss the best interest of the team throughout the semester.
Tim Brandhorst, the board of education secretary, voiced his appreciation for Guerra’s performance. During the board meeting, Brandhorst asked Guerra about police involvement so far in the school year. She claimed that the police were only called five times while she was at OPRF, one of which was a medical emergency. Brandhorst congratulated Guerra throughout the board meeting, saying she made a big difference in the school’s environment.
While Guerra seemingly was excelling in her position as the head of security, she nonetheless has resigned within the first five months of her career at OPRF. Principal and assistant superintendant Lynda Parker said Guerra “had some personal health challenges.”
As of now, Assistant Principal of Operations David Narain is supervising the security team, and is the temporary replacement for Guerra. He is working alongside Eddie Stokes, the current assistant director of security, and night manager Jeremy Powell to facilitate the team. They are all “greatly appreciated in stepping in to make sure the campus stays running smoothly,” said Lynda Parker.
“We are trying to complete interviews before the end of December, so that we can have somebody in the role by second semester,” Parker added. She is searching for a candidate who “has a very keen eye for the safety inside the building.” Parker also said that perimeter security is a large factor towards overall safety, as it allows for less worry inside.
She also wants someone to fulfill the position who understands the relationships and dynamics throughout the school, she said, noting that, “[Guerra] was great in terms of communication.”
In addition, Parker noted Guerra’s unique ability to connect with students due to her education in both law and psychology. Parker said that “she really helped in making sure everybody knew the ‘why,’” when speaking about safety protocols such as IDs.
Narain also expressed the importance of a background in law when looking for a candidate, as well as somebody that simply enjoys being around students. He also mentioned that the OPRF security team is strong, and backed by many skilled employees, so students should feel safe in the building even with Guerra’s resignation. Narain assured students that, “It won’t be long before we have somebody doing [Guerra’s role] here,” as the team aims to find somebody by the time students return in January.
