Officials seek new statewide school safety assessment and consultant after $10 million security appropriation

Delbert McComley, director of the State Construction Department, told the Select Committee on School Facilities on March 5 that the department received $10,000,000 this fiscal year for school safety and security upgrades and that roughly $2–3 million of that would be used for design of vestibules and bollards.

McComley said the department has not done a comprehensive assessment of every school building in more than a decade and recommended hiring a consultant to update the earlier study and rank current needs. "It probably would behoove the department... to hire a consultant to come out and do another big assessment and see where we stand and where we're at," he said. McComley noted the way technology and school safety practices have changed over the past 10–15 years.

The department described a grant or program model that would let districts apply for remaining funds and said staff would provide a list of district priorities. Committee members expressed support for the committee playing a central role in any study and for site visits to observe building conditions firsthand.

Why it matters: A modern assessment could identify high‑priority safety upgrades across districts and help the committee and legislature allocate the $10 million appropriation effectively.

Next steps: The department will produce materials on district needs and, if warranted, request consultant funding to perform a statewide facilities safety assessment for the committee to consider during the interim.