PLAISTOW - Safety concerns, which surfaced following last week’s incident involving a gun in Timberlane High School and the discovery of a threatening note the next day, were the topic of conversation Tuesday night as more than 100 parents, students and administrators gathered at the Performing Arts Center (PAC).

During an hourlong question-and-answer period, parents and students of the district posed questions and concerns regarding safety in the school to Principal Charles Coker Jr. and Superintendent Douglas McDonald.

Debbie Pierce of Atkinson has two children attending the high school. She said she has always been aware that an incident like the one last Thursday could happen, and she attended this week’s forum to see what was being done to prevent it from happening again.

Pierce said it was time to "step it up" with school security.

Beth of Sandown agreed.

"They need to look at those nine exits (within the building)," she said.

Hendershot added that identification cards were issued to students for security purposes, but have not been used for that purpose to date.

One concerned parent asked about the possibility of using metal detectors in the school.

McDonald said multiple factors - nine entrances to the school, students constantly coming and going from the PAC and physical education classes, and several windows on the first floor -rendered metal detectors useless. He added that several schools throughout the nation that use detection devices still have incidences with guns in school.

"There isn’t a school in this nation where this couldn’t have happened," he said.

McDonald added that it is important for parents to be vigilant by locking up guns and asked those in attendance to report things that they may hear at home.

Coker said he has addressed the issue with students in recent school announcements and has spoken with several students who have approached him about the issue.

He said administration was reviewing how recent safety issues had been addressed and what could have been done differently.

A safety audit is scheduled for spring 2005 for all schools in the district. McDonald said he did not expect to see recommendations from that audit until the following summer.

Safety concerns began on Dec. 16, when a 16-year-old male student brought a loaded .380 semi-automatic handgun to school. At that time the student said that he did not bring the gun because of problems at school, but to protect himself and his friends from youths from a neighboring town.

According to McDonald the student will remain suspended from school through Feb. 6 and is expected to have a hearing before the School Board during its second hearing in January. If the student is found to be in violation of the Safe School Zone, then the board has no choice but to suspend him for a minimum of 12 months.

The issue was exacerbated the following day, on Dec. 17, when a note was found outside the school library that stated that the student had plans of using the weapon in school, but changed his mind. The note also stated there was another student in the school that had intentions of carrying out the plan. Students were dismissed two hours early that day as a precautionary measure.

Coker said Tuesday that he remained "95 percent sure" that the note was a hoax, but decided it was better to err on the side of caution by ending the school day early. He added that administration did not believe the two incidences are related.