'Ilima Intermediate School has hired a fourth security guard to patrol its 'Ewa Beach campus in the wake of reports by some parents and teachers of increased fights in and around the school in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, parents are being asked to attend a meeting today regarding issues with fighting and discipline at the 'Ewa Beach campus recently.

The 6:30 p.m. meeting at the school cafeteria is being organized by 'Ilima principal Jon Kitabayashi and state Sen. Will Espero, D-20th ('Ewa Beach, Waipahu).

"I need to assure the parents of the safety of the school and to keep the communication lines open," Kitabayashi said.

West O'ahu police reported they responded to 24 calls over fights or near fights in the Campbell High School-'Ilima Intermediate area between Feb. 1 and the first week of March.

Recently, a handful of teachers said there has been a significant number of fights on campus and some said they were fearful for their safety and that of their students.

Kitabayashi said he and his staff, as well as that of Campbell principal Gail Awakuni, are working with Department of Education officials, the teachers union, the adjoining Halepono Boys & Girls Club, police and nearby businesses to improve conditions for both campuses as well as the areas off-campus.

The fourth security guard was hired on a temporary, emergency basis using discretionary administrative money, Kitabayashi said, adding that he would like to make the position permanent.

The hire had been in the works for a while and was not in response to recent publicity about the fighting, Kitabayashi said. "It was difficult to find someone to work in that position," he said.

The school had no fights on campus that he was aware of last week, he said.

Police have also continued to promote a more visible presence near the campus after school, Kitabayashi said.

Other improvements are being explored and will be discussed tomorrow, including the use of a "repeater" walkie-talkie system that would allow all nine schools in the Campbell area complex to stay in touch with each other.

Kitabayashi said he assured faculty at a meeting on Wed-nesday that he would work with them on additional steps, including a review of all school policies from attendance to dress code.

"It's a good school," he said. "It's just a few people, a few students, that have put us in a negative light."

He pointed out that 'Ilima was cited for its improvements in student achievement tests three years running.

"Obviously, everybody's concerned," said Espero, who noted that several parents have spoken to him about the issue. "There are many ideas and suggestions and hopefully this is just a phase the complex is going through right now."

Dhane Pierce, a math teach-er who heads the associate faculty policy committee, said on Friday that he had not heard about the parents' meeting. Wednesday's meeting between teachers and Kitabayashi gave him no solace, he said.

"We all walked out feeling like he's just brushing us off," he said.

Pierce said he and other teachers feel students are let off too easily for fights and other infractions.

And while security has been trying to be more assertive on campus, "they're not fully effective," he said.

Despite his reservations, Pierce said, he had not seen or heard of any fights on campus last week.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.