Safety grants to aid improvements for three area districts

COLUMBUS — Safety is a top priority for school districts throughout Ohio, and three area districts will upgrade their measures after receiving state grants.

Earlier this month, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced the state will support the installation of security upgrades for more than 700 K-12 schools across Ohio, which include Crooksville Exempted, Maysville and Northern Local School Districts, with the Ohio K-12 School Safety Grant Program.

Northern Local was given $500,000, which will be split between its three elementary schools (Glenford, Somerset and Thornville), as well as Sheridan High and middle schools. Crooksville was awarded $300,000 with $100,000 apiece going to its elementary, middle school and high school. Maysville will use its $100,000 to upgrade its preschool facility.

The grant comes at a good time for Northern Local, which passed a levy in November. Superintendent Angie Gussler noted the funds marked for security can be used elsewhere, thanks to the state funds.

"It's a game changer for us," she said. "It frees up general fund money that we would normally spend on safety and allows us to put it into other programs. We need some upgrades and updates on our equipment that will help us with keeping all our students safe."

The focus will be on upgrading surveillance systems throughout the district. Gussler noted they will purchase new equipment to update what the district has, along with adding more external and internal cameras. The district also will look to improve its communication devices.

Gussler said in emergency situations, the Perry County Sheriff's Office, as well as Somerset and Thornville Police Departments, have responded quickly and assisted in those moments.

"We have some outdated equipment or areas that need surveillance so this will us improve our security," she said. "Cell service can be spotty or non-existent in our buildings, especially at Glenford. It's important to have good communication devices to stay in contact. Law enforcement has been good about covering us, but we want to make sure we are connected.

"Safety is our top priority, and it's a relief to get this grant to provide us with what we need. We're fortunate and thankful to receive these funds."

Improvements are also a focus for Crooksville. Superintendent Kevin Smith noted the district is grateful to receive the grant so it can continue to secure its campuses.

"Our focus is having a safe, secure campus like every district wants," Smith said. "It's a blessing to receive this grant since it saves us from using our own money for additional security measures. Now, we can look at the projects we have had in mind and see what we can do."

Smith noted over recent years the district has been able to upgrade its security with an updated camera system. The schools keep exterior doors locked during the school day and rely on buzzer systems to allow visitors inside buildings. He noted classroom doors have locks on the hinges for lockdown situations, and administrative employees are equipped with radios in cases of emergencies throughout the day.

There are ways to improve security, and Smith said the district will review its options so it can maximize the funds.

"We did an administrative analysis to come up a pre-drafted list of ideas," he said. "We will go through those, evaluate the costs and prioritize what needs to be done for each school. We're in a good spot right now, but we also want to continue to get better where we can. We want to make sure everyone is as safe and secure as possible."

Maysville has developed a plan for its building. Treasurer Lew Sidwell noted the district needs to upgrade some of its security features in the preschool building, which is about 10 years old. The district plans to install a new intercom system throughout the building and update its key card system.

“We’re very happy to receive these funds, and it will benefit our district,” Sidwell noted. “There’s some supply chain issues with some of the equipment we need, but hopefully, we can have everything installed by the end of the school year.”

A total of 708 schools in 57 counties will receive $57.8 million in grant funding to enhance student and staff safety. DeWine is awarding the funds as part of his K-12 School Safety Grant Program, which started in 2019 to help schools with physical security expenses, such as new security cameras, public address systems, automatic door locks, visitor badging systems, and exterior lighting.

"We are being proactive in keeping our schools safe in Ohio. Student and staff safety is paramount,” said DeWine. “These safety grants are helping schools create environments that are secure and welcoming for teachers and their students."

This was the third round of grants awarded as part of the Ohio K-12 School Safety Grant Program. In the first round, $5 million in state funding was awarded to 95 schools in 27 counties. DeWine then partnered with the Ohio General Assembly to increase funding for the program by an additional $100 million, and he announced the availability of the second round of funding in August, totaling $42.2 million for 1,065 schools.

The remaining $57.8 million in grants were awarded through a competitive process to public school districts and chartered non-public schools. The grant program is administered by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission in partnership with the Ohio School Safety Center.

bhannahs@gannett.com; @brandonhannahs

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Safety grants to aid improvements for three area districts