Boardman Local Schools continue with comprehensive security upgrade
BOARDMAN
This summer, and over the next few years, school district officials plan to add new security measures to build upon the comprehensive security upgrade the district began last year.
In the near future, that will include the installation of vestibules at all seven schools which visitors must enter to be cleared for admittance to the school building, and installation of radios that directly connect to police and fire department radios.
One vestibule, also known as a “man trap,” is slated to be complete at Center Middle School for the start of the school year.
After that, work will begin to construct man traps at Glenwood Middle School and the high school, said Timothy Saxton, director of operations for the district. Eventually the elementary schools will get them too, with the exception of Stadium Drive, since it already has a similar structure.
“That’s our major focus right now, to recraft our entrances,” Saxton said.
Last year, the district added a new security system and improved signage at each building.
The Raptor system scans visitors’ identification cards before they can move around the building, and checks their information in a sex-offender database. It also gives school officials the option to create custom alerts to flag down visitors with whom they might need to take added precaution.
Officials say the system worked last year. “There were at least two instances where it worked exactly as it was designed,” said Patrolman Paul Poulos, district security supervisor and township police officer.
Improved signage at the schools is designed to direct visitors directly to main entrances so they pass through the security measures.
“Our No. 1 goal is to work outside, in,” Saxton said. “We just have to make sure we’re doing the best that we can do to filter people.”
Poulos, who last year became the first township police officer to serve as the school district security supervisor, said he’s looking forward to building upon what he started last school year.
In the future, he said, he’d like to upgrade the schools’ security cameras, add full-time police officers to each of the middle schools and continue building good relationships with students.
“That’s my goal, to keep building, keep improving and hopefully keep positively impacting people,” he said.