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Board approves $215,750 contract for comprehensive school safety assessment
Summary
The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp board voted to hire National School Safety and Security Services for a $215,750 comprehensive safety assessment, including document review, on‑site interviews and a final recommendations report; the work will be funded from the operations fund.
The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp board on a voice vote approved a $215,750 contract with National School Safety and Security Services to conduct a comprehensive school safety assessment.
Katie Elmer, invited to describe the commission’s work, told trustees the Vanderburgh County School Safety Commission brings together emergency management, fire, police, the sheriff’s office, dispatch, juvenile court, mental‑health partners and higher‑education representatives to coordinate prevention, readiness and crisis response. She said the commission has met regularly since 2019 to focus on reunification planning, threat assessment, drills and other preparedness measures.
Office of Chief of Staff staff presented the contract scope: a pre‑assessment review of security and emergency‑preparedness documents, on‑site interviews with key community partners and school staff, examination of physical security measures and a final report with evidence‑based observations and recommendations that could feed into long‑range security planning. District staff told trustees the firm was recommended by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and provided extensive references.
Trustees asked practical questions about schedule and scope. District staff said the vendor estimated roughly two to three weeks of on‑site work to interview staff across buildings and review practices, preceded by a document submission and planning phase. Board members urged that the district consider public sharing of the assessment results once reviewed to maintain public trust and noted the assessment could identify budgetary needs.
The board approved the agreement and directed staff to proceed with next steps; the item was funded from the operations fund. No roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript; the motion passed on a voice vote.
What happens next: staff will provide documents to the firm for its pre‑assessment review, schedule on‑site interviews, and later present the firm’s final report and recommendations to the board for consideration of any policy or budget changes.
