Security -- in all facets -- a priority for Dalton Public Schools administrators

Jul. 20—Dalton Public Schools administrators continue to examine safety and security — from buildings, doors and windows to cybersecurity — as they prepare for students to begin the 2022-23 school year Aug. 9.

Dalton Public Schools will open the year with six school resource officers (SROs), one at each secondary school and a pair for the six elementary schools, said Jeff Wells, director of transportation and safety for Dalton Public Schools. A seventh SRO, who would focus on elementary schools, could be added in October.

In addition, "I don't know of hardly any spots (in our schools) not covered by cameras," Wells said. "IT (information technology) has done an excellent job."

Cybersecurity is "a continuous process," said Stuart Davis, the school system's director of technology and telecommunications. "It's not a matter of if something is going to happen, but when — and how we respond to it."

"We have a cybersecurity and incident plan and team," Davis said. "I feel our district is further along than many others in mitigating (threats)."

After 31 Dalton Public Schools employees — of 700 tested — tried to enter critical information during a phishing test last year, those 31 underwent additional cybersecurity training, he said. In a second phishing test, only eight of 700 attempted to enter their credentials, which is "amazing — almost perfect."

Similar tests will continue, but with increased difficulty level, Davis said.

"Our numbers may (get worse initially because of that higher difficulty), but that's OK, because they're learning."

Davis also has advice for parents: "Freeze your child's credit records."

"It's free and easy to do, and I'll preach this every day I can," he said. "We'll have a directive to parents" later this year.

Youth "have clean records, so they're a perfect target," Davis said. "You can always call and un-freeze it later."

School nutrition updates This school year Dalton Public Schools students will be able to simply use a fingerprint for meal orders, rather than relaying their meal identification number to school nutrition employees, Davis said. IdentiMetrics provides a flexible, unified biometric ID management platform that allows identification of users through a template scan of points on a finger; these points are then combined and encrypted via a unique algorithm, which creates a unique ID.

"It doesn't scan your entire fingerprint — only five to 10 points — so there's no full print," he said. "Fingerprints can't be recreated," and this will be "more efficient and secure" than relying on students to correctly relay numbers to school nutrition workers.

It is optional, however, said Wimberly Brackett, Dalton Public Schools' director of school nutrition who used similar technology while working for a school system in Florida: "Families can opt out."

"Every student" attending Brookwood School, Dalton High School, Dalton Junior High School, Hammond Creek Middle School, The Dalton Academy and Westwood School "needs to return an application" for free or reduced-price meals this school year, and online applications are available at https://www.daltonpublicschools.com/departments/school-nutrition/menu-prices, Brackett said. Paper applications will be made available to schools by the end of this month.

All students at Blue Ridge School, City Park School, Park Creek School and Roan School can continue to access free meals this school year, Brackett said.

"Those schools remain covered under provisional status."

Dalton High construction At Dalton High School, summer indoor construction work is "in very good shape — way ahead of schedule" — while outdoor work is "moving in the right direction," said Joseph Khalil, vice president at Multiplex LLC, which is heading up the project. "All demolition is complete, (as are) restrooms and plumbing."

"Drywall is up and ready for paint," he added. "Flooring is installed."