In light of the recent school shooting tragedy in Texas, Knox Community School Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart said the Knox School Board took time this week to ask questions to ensure that the students are safe when they attend classes on campus.
Dr. Reichhart noted that secure entryways and security measures have been implemented at each school.
Dr. Reichhart stated, “When visitors or parents come to the school they have a separate entry point. They go in an office area, a vestibule-type area, which is secure. They can’t go any further than that. They show their ID, we do a quick background check, run their driver’s license, give them a visitor’s badge to wear throughout our building, and then we can safely allow them into our buildings. That’s been a huge improvement when it comes to school safety.”
The school corporation will also welcome back a School Resource Officer who will make sure the school is secure and address any needs.
Meanwhile, the Oregon-Davis School Board members were updated on school safety Tuesday night. Superintendent Bill Bennett said School Safety Grant funds have helped the corporation make upgrades to security at the school buildings.
“We’re installing the 3M safety film all the way around our schools,” commented Bennett. “People will not be able to see into the building, but will be able to see out. Basically, it makes the glass shatterproof, or where it will catch a bullet if it were to be shot at. In previous years, we upgraded camera systems and then implemented the ALICE [Alert-Lockdown-Inform-Counter-Evacuate] training the year before.”
Bennett added that the board is looking at more improvements.
Bennett continued, “We’re going to continue to look at our camera system and look for areas of weakness. We have a few exterior doors that we want to replace so the fob entry systems work better. We’re even exploring the possibility of metal detectors to enter both of our Elementary and High School offices.
No formal decisions were made, but discussions will be ongoing.
