Florida District Outlines $1.7 Million in Security Upgrades

Florida District Outlines $1.7 Million in Security Upgrades

The Manatee County School District plans to address gaps in campus security with a $1.7 million security upgrades project.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • May 16, 2019

The Manatee County School District in Bradenton, Fla., plans to boost its campus security with a security upgrade project, made possible by $1.7 million in grant funding from the Florida Department of Education. The project, approved by the school board on Tuesday, will begin in October and continue through January 2021.

According to the project plan, most of Manatee County’s campuses are less than 75 percent enclosed, and several of its schools have less than 26 percent coverage on their perimeters. As a start, the district plans to install fences at 31 of its elementary, middle and high school campuses.

Doug Wagner, deputy superintendent of operations, said the project aims to add to existing fences at these campuses without fully enclosing the schools. Each school has different needs and plans, he said, based on their age and current security measures.

The project plan states that each fence will be “resistant to climbing, maintain visual surveillance lines, be durable, and aesthetically pleasing.”

Most of the state grant will go toward new fences and related security upgrades, but about $244,000 is set to go toward other projects at the district’s charter schools.

Imagine Charter School plans to install bullet-resistant glass on its lobby doors, as well as purchase Barracuda Intruder Defense Systems, a portable device that can attach to the top, bottom or handle of a door to barricade it from the inside. State College of Florida Collegiate School will purchase 34 “lockdown door barriers,” Team Success will add 37 security cameras to its campus and Rowlett Middle Academy will erect LED lights in its parking lots, doorways and hallways.

“The importance of this project is to ensure our schools are as safe as possible, given the resources that we have,” Wagner said. “We’re going to continue addressing this.”

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Gun Violence Report Finds Retail Spaces, K-12 Schools Most Targeted

    ZeroEyes, the creators of the only AI-based gun detection video analytics platform that holds the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act Designation, today announced the release of its annual Gun Violence Report, offering a deep dive into the landscape of gun-related incidents across the United States. This analysis extends beyond mass fatality events, providing a more nuanced understanding of when, where, and why shootings occur. Read Now

  • Cybersecurity is An Overlooked Threat on K-12 Campuses

    Improving physical security on K-12 campuses is always at the top of mind for decision makers like principals, superintendents, and many others with a focus on surveillance cameras, access control, and emergency drills. But cybersecurity something that needs as much scrutiny as in today’s digital landscape. Read Now

    • Communication

  • Four Fathers Stop School Shooter at Weekend Band Competition in Texas

    An 83-year-old man allegedly injured one during a school shooting at a band competition in a Houston suburb. According to a Facebook post by the Pasadena Police Department, the shooting happened after 6 p.m. at Pasadena Memorial High School on Saturday. Read Now

  • Tennessee School Shooter Partially Livestreamed Attack that Killed One

    The school shooter who killed one during an attack in Nashville, Tenn. partially livestreamed the attack. Read Now

Most   Popular