Greater Clark County Schools in Indiana will begin three major projects after its board of trustees accepted proposals Monday night.
Board members for the district, located just north of Louisville, approved the $22 million investment following a public hearing featuring speeches from teachers, parents and students, reports the News and Tribune.
The projects aim to improve the building security at three schools in the district. Specifically, the plan calls for $9 million in renovations at River Valley Middle School, $7 million at Charlestown Middle School and $6 million at Northaven Elementary School.
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Current security concerns at the schools include open-concept designs like walls that don’t stretch from floor to ceiling, classrooms without doors and front entrance designs.
Community members spoke in favor of and against the proposal on Monday, with some people voicing concerns over the way the costs were determined.
“I do believe open-concept must go, safety is a priority,” teacher Kelli Dattilo told board members. “But we have to be transparent to the taxpayers.”
The projects were previously packaged as part of a referendum that failed last year and a bond proposal that was petitioned by local residents last spring. The Department of Local Government Finance ruled earlier this year that if the projects were separate, they wouldn’t be subject to a referendum.
Residents can enter into a remonstrance process to appeal the board’s decision within 30 days of the approval.
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