State funds will help pay for safety upgrade in all district schools

Plans are in the works to add more security cameras, door locks, portable radios and other security measures to all four schools in Springfield, as a result of state school security grants the district has been awarded.

www.eagletimes.com

www.eagletimes.com

State funds will help pay for safety upgrade in all district schools By JEFF EPSTEIN VTreporter@eagletimes.com Springfield School District COURTESY SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — Plans are in the works to add more security cameras, door locks, portable radios and other security measures to all four schools in Springfield, as a result of state school security grants the district has been awarded. Over the summer, the district applied for school security grants that were made available by the state, resulting from Gov. Phil Scott's request to survey all schools to identify safety needs. Scott's action, and the state legislature's subsequent approval, came after a teenager confessed to police he had planned a mass shooting at Fair Haven Union High School. Grant applications were issued at the beginning of June, and were returned to the state a month later. On Aug. 15, Springfield received word it had been awarded school grants totaling approximately $91,000, according to District Superintendent Zachary McLaughlin. However, school districts are required to match 25 percent of the funds. No decision has been made yet how Springfield will do that, but Chief Financial Officer Rick Pembroke told the board that it could probably be covered through savings expected in some expenditures. However, he placed the figure at approximately $30,000, which is closer to 33 percent. The board was briefed on the awards by District Safety Coordinator Kevin Anderson, a former law enforcement officer. The state surveys identified schools with particular security needs that the state suggested. School applications requested funding that responded to those needs. Not all schools have the same needs, and will therefore not get exactly the same equipment. In general, McLaughlin said, "our buildings are in better shape than many schools." The funded projects include measures involving communications and security, such as alarms, classroom locks, and access control. Anderson said he was reluctant to share specific details of some equipment items that included public secrecy as part of their effectiveness. For at least one line item, Springfield High School was turned down for funds that were awarded to the other three district schools, Anderson said. The board made no decisions regarding when the new security measures would be implemented in the schools.