Michigan District Plans Safety Upgrades for Middle/High School Building

Michigan District Plans Safety Upgrades for Middle/High School Building

Manistee Area Public Schools plans to spend $150,000 of general fund money to improve security at the entrance of Manistee Middle/High School.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • June 26, 2019

Manistee Area Public Schools plans to upgrade the safety of the Manistee Middle/High School entrance to better protect its students.

When the building was originally constructed about 20 years ago, architects did not design the campus with security in mind. The current main entrance opens directly into the commons area, which houses lunch as well as student gatherings. At any given time, multiple hundreds of students could be present right within the school’s entrance.

MAPS began improving security two years ago, when it installed a camera/buzzer system on the front doors that required visitors to be buzzed in to be given access. Unfortunately, the common courtesy of holding doors open for people approaching meant the security was flawed.

Now, MAPS plans to spend $150,000 of general fund money to increase security at the campus’s entrance. The new, safer entrance will require two steps of visitors before they can gain entry to the building during school hours.

“We are pretty excited about that building and the opportunity for our students and the community to have a secure entrance on that building,” MAPS Superintendent Ron Stoneman said. Stoneman said the district, architect and construction company are working together on a timeline.

He said the project could move forward even once school has started because there is an additional way to enter the building by the band room.

“I think we can handle that flow of student traffic, but as soon as we can get on this project would be best for us,” Stoneman said. “I think once the materials are on site it will not take too long to complete it. It’s not a large project and smaller local or regional contracting companies could do it.”

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

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