2024 bond project may emphasize school safety in St. Johns

Sarah Atwood, Lansing State Journal
·2 min read

ST. JOHNS — School safety is the No. 1 priority for community members, according to a survey by the St. Johns Board of Education.

The survey was conducted in the spring to get the opinions of parents and other community members on what the school district's 2024 bond should look like, and most respondents supported security improvements.

Additionally, district officials have held meetings this fall with staff and community to narrow the proposed bond projects.

Anthony Berthiaume, superintendent of St. Johns Public Schools, said that the results of the survey were not surprising.

"School safety is on everyone's mind, especially in today's society," he said.

A majority of St. Johns Public Schools survey respondents said school safety is a priority and showed their support for safety features like entrance vestibules, security cameras, door hardware, and monitoring systems.
A majority of St. Johns Public Schools survey respondents said school safety is a priority and showed their support for safety features like entrance vestibules, security cameras, door hardware, and monitoring systems.

The proposed safety plan would add a "2-prong" security system to the front entrance of each school, meaning visitors would have to be buzzed in twice before entering the main hallways. Screening sensors at each building would make sure all external doors are closed. Classroom doors would have auto-locks, so a teacher would not have to worry whether or not they locked the door in the case of an intruder.

Those security improvements would cost the district about $5 million and would be part of $12 million in projects to be paid for by an existing millage and the refinancing of bonds in the last decade. Berthiaume said there would be no tax increases for property owners within the district.

The Board of Education has not yet voted on the bond proposal, but survey results and school officials indicate it has strong support from community members and district leadership.

St. Johns School District Offices signage Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023.
St. Johns School District Offices signage Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023.

About 700 members of the St. Johns community took the survey, and the level of interest and support "overwhelmed" Board of Education President Timothy Jackson.

"(Board members) are the fiscal stewards of (community) resources," he said, explaining why the district wanted to communicate clearly about plans for the bond and the importance of getting community input. "There was an overwhelming amount of agreement."

Survey respondents also ranked upgrades to old elementary buildings as another top priority. Additionally, the district identified an early child care center was needed in order to provide young children aged zero through five with foundations for their future educations, and expand access to childcare for the entire community.

Jackson believes that the bond will help grow the school district for years.

Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@lsj.com

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Survey: School safety is a top priority for St. Johns schools