The Knox Community School Corporation is teaming up with a local gas station to raise funds for security upgrades. A “GO for School Safety” campaign will take place at the Zingo BP in Knox, according to Elementary School Assistant Principal Cory Masson.
“Starting next Tuesday, October 1, we are going to be able to get 10 cents per gallon for every gallon sold at the Knox Redskins Spirit Pump for 60 days,” Masson says. “So for two months straight, we are going to get 10 cents per gallon, and that goes straight to, basically, a school safety account.”
Masson says the school corporation plans to use that money to purchase a Raptor system. “A Raptor system is an identification system that’s going to be used in our central office and at all three schools,” he explains. “Basically, it scans all 50 states for registered sex offenders, so if there’s a sex offender who attempts to come to the school, through this system, we’re going to be able to be notified, and then obviously, call our [school resource officer] and administrators to take care of the situation.” Any money raised beyond that would go toward other safety needs.
This comes as the school corporation is getting less school safety funding than expected from the state. Last year, Knox Community Schools received a $50,000 Secured School Safety matching grant, but only got $17,000 during this year’s round. That left several proposed security upgrades like security cameras, bus radios, and entryways without the funding school officials had hoped for.
Masson adds that the Knox Community School Corporation appreciates Good Oil Company and Zingo BP “for their gracious offer and their focused efforts” to help make schools safer for students in the community. Other area schools have also been able to make safety improvements in recent years, with funding from the GO for School Safety program.
