Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Safety coordinator outlines $500,000 grant applications and building security upgrades
Summary
District safety coordinator described three grant applications including a request for roughly $500,000 to update cameras, ballistic film and two-way radios; staff also reviewed recent security steps such as perimeter fencing, single-entry vestibules and metal-detector screening pilots.
The Lake County Schools safety coordinator provided an update Sept. 8 on school-security work and grant applications aimed at improving camera systems, ballistic film and communications equipment.
Staff said the district plans to seek roughly $500,000 in one application to address several prioritized upgrades, including digital camera-system upgrades to move away from analog hardware, ballistic-film installation on windows and main-entrance glazing, and expanded two-way radio coverage for buses, gyms and athletic fields. The safety presentation noted previous steps already completed: metal-detector screening pilots, a clear-backpack policy, perimeter fencing and consolidation of building entries to a single supervised main entrance at each school.
District staff also cited two additional funding lines: a public-school-safety grant (described in the meeting as roughly $14,000 for some targeted items) and a Tennessee Risk Management $20,000 grant for staff-safety supplies. Staff said multiple grants were being pursued so that higher-cost priorities could be advanced without relying solely on local funds.
The coordinator discussed cost estimates for window film and ballistic treatments: non-ballistic film that reduces visibility was quoted at about $20–$25 per square foot; mid-range ballistic film ranged from about $100–$140 per square foot. Staff noted that ballistic treatment is not guaranteed to stop multiple rounds but can slow entry and afford additional response time. The coordinator said grant award notices typically arrive in January for one of the funding lines and that the district will return to the board with a prioritized list if grants are awarded.
No board vote was required at this meeting; staff requested direction on priorities and reported coordinated threat-assessment work with Homeland Security and building-level assessments that generated the project list.
