Mississippi Middle School Invests $2 Million in Access Control
Bayou View Middle School has invested $2 million in safety measures to control access to the campus.
- By Jessica Davis
- March 28, 2019
Bayou View Middle School in Gulfport, Miss., has invested $2 million in safety measures to control access to its campus.
Gulfport School Superintendent Glen East said the district invested in safety at the middle school campus to protect its students in light of recent incidents of violence.
“Today’s world is changing on us pretty rapidly, as we all know, with the incidents of the past, and making sure that our kids are safe is our number one priority," East said.
Gulfport Schools spent $2 million on security upgrades focusing on limiting access to the campus. The upgrades have closed a number of the entrances to the middle school.
“In the past, we had about 20 to 25 different doors available for you to kind of walk into. Several of the buildings have been added onto during the years," Principal Jonathan Dill said. "So, once we constructed the new office area then we put a fence around the perimeter of the school.”
The upgrades include fences, security cameras and push-button coded entrances. Dill said these upgrades serve as both protection for the students and reassurance for parents that their students are in a safe learning environment.
“To know that your child is safe every day when you drop them off at school, that when you come to pick them up, you know that they’ve had an enjoyable day, and that there’s been no issues,” Dill said. “I think that makes a huge difference with parents.”
About the Author
Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.