Sheldon R-8 board looks at classroom security

Nevada Daily Mail

School security is increasingly on the minds of parents and teachers as well as administrators and school boards. The Sheldon R-8 school board showed its desire to be proactive by hosting a presentation by an area firm specializing in classroom door security.

"I'm a teacher at Nevada R-5," said Lance Sargent "and got motivated to do something about classroom security from an experience in an active shooter simulation."

"We tried to secure our doors by tying a rope and holding it taught," related Sargent. "When a mock perpetrator grabbed my room's door, the rope broke and he entered. When he went on to another room, the teacher holding the rope literally had his hand broken and again, the mock assailant made it in. That's when I became seriously interested in finding or creating something better."

"Our door security system is called Guardian Angel," said Justin Osburn, general manager of Max Motors and co-owner/developer with Sargent.

"This lockable metal box is mounted onto the door, inside the room. Teachers carry a coke style cam key on a lanyard around their necks while at school. The same key can unlock any room's box," said Osburn.

"Inside is a spool containing a steel cable that easily pulls out and hooks onto a D-ring that is securely mounted to the wall," said Sargent as he demonstrated. "The cable is tightened by a small hand-cranked winch. From inserting the key to being secure takes 15-20 seconds."

"Because the windows on the sides of your classroom doors contain steel mesh, an intruder cannot simply break the window and grab the doorknob," said Sargent. "Your teachers will practice use of this device so at the first sign of trouble, they will quickly deploy it and protect their students."

Jarod Lamb, board president, began the questions. "Will you tapcon the plate into the haydite block?"

Tapcon is a screw for use in concrete blocks while haydite is shale or slate that has been heated to 2,000 degrees before being added to Portland cement to make concrete blocks lighter and stronger with greater fire insulation value and fire resistance yet, less expensive. Since the heating of the shale or slate renders haydite blocks more porous than those of solid concrete, the type of screws and location on the block is an important consideration.

"What about swinging doors?" asked Jason Irwin, principal.

"As long as they open into the room our product will secure them," said Osburn "but it will require two units, one for each door."

"Just as the best way to dress warmly in winter is by wearing multiple layers, so having multiple layers of security is important," said Sargent. "Our product will enhance classroom security, but it is only one layer of protection in an overall plan which needs to involve other means as well."

Superintendent Tim Judd said, "I'm looking at beginning with our main building. It would take about 35 units and a rough estimate of cost, with installation, would be around $5,000."

Following the presentation, board president Lamb asked each member to share his or her reaction. All expressed an interest in having the superintendent obtain specifics and present them to the June board meeting for review and possible approval.

Assistant principal Carolyn Compton spoke about the success of the K-3 field trip to Wildcat Glades, the grades 4-6 trip to the state capitol and the rave reviews for the spring music program and its sock hop theme.

Principal Jason Irwin related elementary and high school attendance figures for April and year-to-date concluding, "We have exceeded the state mandated attendance requirement of 90 percent."

After speaking of Logan Lamb's qualification for sectionals in shot put this Saturday, seeking to qualify for state, Irwin spoke about Tuesday's simulated vehicle wreck.

"I've witnessed and helped arrange a number of these over the years, but the one on Tuesday seemed to really get through to a number of our students," said Irwin. "There are pictures and an article about it on the front page of the Nevada Daily Mail; their reporter did a good job of covering it."

Superintendent Judd stressed it has been a positive school year. "You have a report in your packet and you can see that the fund balances look positive. Financially, we are going to end the year strong."

With this year's state legislative session ending at noon on Friday, May 13, Judd spoke of the impact of state senate bill 586.

"While the governor vetoed it, the legislature overrode that veto," said Judd. "There are four parts to the state funding formula and SB 586 has to do with what is called the state adequacy target. This amount gets adjusted every two years and now caps any future increases to 5 percent. This year the amount was $6,131 while for the next two years it will be $6,241."

"Every year," added Judd, "the state legislature promises extra proceeds from the lottery. For once, there actually will be. January's $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot resulted in $42.1 million to Missouri education, the largest in the lottery's 30-year history. We'll get a few dollars as a result."

"Finally," said Judd, "full day summer school will last three weeks this year and starts on June 6."