School security doors installed
By Donnie A. Lucas
Visitors to both Albany school campuses are currently restricted, but when students, parents, and other visitors do return they will find that security has been improved, at least as far as gaining access to buildings is concerned.
Installation of magnetic door locking systems has been completed at the secondary campus and at Nancy Smith Elementary. The automatic door locks were activated this week.
“This was something we were working on during spring break before the cancellations due to the coronavirus,” superintendent Jonathan Scott said. “The encouragement and direction for improving school security came out of the last session of the state legislators, including a $25,000 grant that we applied for and received.”
Scott said that the system at each campus includes call systems with cameras at separate locations at both campuses, plus three ID scanners. The cost of the security upgrade was $28,000, according to Scott, leaving the district to only pay for the $3,000 that exceeded the grant.
“We had been discussing campus security with the campus and district improvement committees,” he said. “We needed to improve security by having more control over access points at both campuses.”
Visitors will now be required to gain access to either building through the front entrances. A call box or “doorbell” unit is located at the front entrance with office personnel able to view anyone who wishes to gain entrance and then buzz them in.
Visitors will register in the office and be given a visitor’s badge. If access is needed to other locations such as the elementary cafeteria, visitors will be given a coded card on a lanyard that can be swiped at one of the ID scans.
The office personnel will have to have a driver’s license or other photo ID to hold when the code card is issued to ensure visitors return the code card to the office.
At the elementary campus, a call box was also installed outside the entry door to the courtyard, and scanners are located at the doors in the front, the courtyard door, and the cafeteria where entrance can be gained by visitors and all staff members.
“The staff, including teachers, all have new photo ID cards on lanyards that they must now wear at all times,” Scott said. “It will allow them to use the scanners, but it also will identify who they are which will be helpful to visitors and substitutes on campus.”
The superintendent said that staff teachers will need to get used to wearing the ID cards on lanyards at all times during the school day.
Students will not be issued the key cards to be swiped to gain entrance.
“We have programmed the three doors at the secondary campus to be unlocked when the bells ring and locked when the tardy bell rings for each period,” Scott said.
The doors can be opened from the inside at any time in the event of a fire or other emergency.
In addition to the front entrance, a call station with a camera is located at the back exit in the center of the high school. A scanner is also located there and at the front door of the junior high building.
Scott said that all other entrance doors will remain locked, including doors at the end of the hallways. Teachers will still be able to gain entrance at all non-magnetic locks with their key.
“We won’t really know how well this all works until we get the kids back at school to see where we need to fine tune,” he said.
