The USD 355 School Board approved a bid for $156,932 for locking doors for the district, which will include card readers, at its regular meeting on Monday. This will represent a change for everyone who enters the school.
We’ll “lock all of the doors,” said Superintendent Ben Jacobs. “There will be intercoms at the main entrances.” Visitors will be buzzed into the school.
“It’s a response to increased school security because of what’s going on in the country,” said Jacobs. At the high school, the entries with the buzzers will be the main south entrance and the entrance on the east by the Commons area. Doors from the library into the school are scheduled for replacement.
At the grade school, the entrance with the buzzer will be on the south side main entrance.
Alert strobes in the offices will go off if the entrances are kept open for longer than it would take for one person to enter.
Twenty-eight doors will be replaced.
The low, responsible total bid was submitted from Midwest Digital Systems (Dyllan Construction), Lawson, Mo. This project will include a turnkey centralized access control system.
The work will begin as soon as Midwest Digital Systems and Dyllan Construction can coordinate schedules and systems. The board desires this to be as soon as possible, according to the meeting minutes. Jacobs said the work should begin over Christmas break with the goal to have it completed by spring break.
The system comes with a two year warranty that includes unlimited technical support, on-site visits and scheduled maintenance visits.
Teachers and other personnel will receive access cards. Jacobs said temporary cards will be issued on an as-needed basis. The bid includes 400 access cards.
The high school and middle school will have 11 card access doors. Ellinwood Grade School will have seven card access doors.
The bid includes web access for remote control management from anywhere in the world, facility lock down, reports such as entry and exit times.
In other business, the board heard:
•A new high jump pit and standards will be purchased for $7,000.
•A budget report. Jacobs said that the district is being prudent with expenditures and are in a better position than last year.