Nebo School District Investing $11 Million in Security
Nebo School District is the seventh-largest district in Utah, consisting of over 40 schools and serving more than 40,500 students.
Nebo School District in Utah will invest $11 million in capital funds into school security upgrades, including five secured entrances at 11 elementary schools.
District spokesperson Lana Hiskey said the district has assembled a school safety committee to work on preventing and responding to security incidents, reports Herald Extra. So far, the committee has approved a communications system that allows the district to get ahold of all parents within 15 minutes and has put cell phone boosters in every school so that all teachers can have service in an emergency.
“If something happens, we have to be able to get communication out quickly,” Hiskey emphasized.
The district also added cameras to schools and increased lighting by 30%. More medical kits have been purchased and the district has partnered with nearby cities to bring in additional resource officers. Mental health counselors have also been added and new fire panel sensors have been installed. Additionally, a safety security architect has been hired to assess older buildings to see how security can be improved.
Top security concerns for some of the schools include noncustodial parents removing children and parents dropping off and picking up students. As a result, Hiskey said some schools are seeing redesigned traffic flows to minimize potential hazards. Security gates have also been added at schools because parents were driving onto playgrounds to drop off students.
Nebo has an estimated 40,500 students and covers more than 1,300 square miles. It is the seventh-largest school district in Utah, consisting of six high schools, six junior high schools, 27 elementary schools and two alternative schools.
See what other school districts have done recently to improve school safety:
- Md. School District to Spend $9.7 Million on 24 New Security Vestibules
- NYC School Installs 150-Pound Bullet-Resistant Doors
- New Jersey High School Bans Non-Clear Backpacks
- Detroit School District Will Soon Employ Its Own Security Officers
- Oregon Students Can Take Mental Health Days from School
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About the Author
Amy Rock, Executive Editor
Amy is Campus Safety’s Executive Editor. Prior to joining the editorial team in 2017, she worked in both events and digital marketing.
Amy has many close relatives and friends who are teachers, motivating her to learn and share as much as she can about campus security. She has a minor in education and has worked with children in several capacities, further deepening her passion for keeping students safe.
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