Board discusses Ogle Elementary break-in, approves $125,000 security grant

The Randolph County Board of Education discussed a reported break-in at Ogle Elementary School and approved a $125,000 Center for Safer Schools grant to purchase and install door-access systems and security alarm panels.

The incident, reported at the meeting as occurring on Feb. 28, prompted board members and staff to describe immediate operational changes: campus staff will check and sign off on all exterior doors before students arrive, perform repeat checks during the day, and enforce a strict policy against propping doors or leaving windows open without screens. The board said one designated entry for parent access will be enforced and that staff will document checks.

The board also returned to a longer-standing discussion about school resource officers (SROs). Board members said SROs cover middle and high schools and that county leaders are exploring a pilot to increase SRO coverage in elementary schools, using either county-funded officers or off-duty officers hired for overtime. The meeting record cites conversations with Sheriff Seybold, Commissioner Errol Fry and AT PACS chairman John Cable about funding and implementation. Board members said staffing availability and cost remain constraints.

Separately, the board accepted a Center for Safer Schools grant in the amount of $125,000. The funds are designated for door-access systems and security alarm panel systems; staff said the award must be spent by June and that the facilities and IT teams (identified in the meeting as Larry’s group and the IT department) have consulted vendors to meet the timeline. Meeting presenters said the district expects to use the grant to add access-control hardware at multiple schools and to install additional security cameras. The record notes the district received a prior, smaller award (about $57,000) that rolled forward as work continued.

The board approved acceptance of the grant by motion; the motion was seconded and recorded as approved.