NEW SCHOOL DISTRICT SECURITY MEASURES

You asked for a list of new security measures that the state's school districts have proposed or adopted in response to the December 2012 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.

Connecticut newspapers have reported numerous new school security measures, either proposed or approved, by towns and school districts throughout the state since the Newtown shootings. These include:

3. Installing new entry mechanisms at school doors (e.g., automatic locking devices, swipe-card entry systems, buzz-in intercom systems, panic buttons), bullet proof glass, surveillance cameras, and sally ports (secure entryways consisting of a series of doors);

Table 1 lists these measures, and indicates their current status (if known) and estimated cost. Approval has come through a local school board or town council vote or a referendum. When known, we have indicated whether the measures are being proposed town wide or at specific schools.

*School District*	*Proposed Security Measures*	*Status*	*Estimated Costs and Spending to Date*
Amity (district includes Bethany, Orange, and Woodbridge)	○ Upgraded one part-time security guard to full-time	Approved	$22,000 spent
Avon	○ Audible alarms on exterior doors ○ Annunciator panels to provide visual monitoring of door alarms ○ Primary locking hardware in each room (to lock doors from inside) ○ Video surveillance system ○ Replace district-wide two-way radio system	Approved by finance board, awaiting referendum on May 15^th	$240,000
Brookfield	○ Phase 1: installation of double-buzzer system at main entrances, ID security windows for front offices, key card access for employee entrances, video surveillance at important access points ○ Phase 2: Replacement of locking mechanisms on doors ○ Phase 3: Installation of security gates at main entrances, purchase of 2 high-end police band radios for each school ○ Additional proposal: Hire four armed school resource officers (SROs)	Funding for phase one ($110,900) approved	○ $347,500 (building upgrades and equipment) ○ $300,000 (SROs)
Cheshire	○ Upgrade to existing remote door-lock system (replace staff keycards with fingerprint reading devices) ○ Other safety and security upgrades	Approved	$25,000 spent; town expects to spend $75,000 total
Colchester	○ Installation of secondary entrance and exit road for emergencies ○ Block corridors by entrance so visitors must go immediately to office upon entering building	Approved	$56,000
Enfield	Armed guards in all 10 of town's public schools	Approved by town council and school board	Estimated to cost $650,000 in first year, $500,000 in subsequent years
Glastonbury	○ Security guards for elementary schools ○ Locking mechanisms for doors, swipe-card entry systems, buzz-in intercom systems with panic buttons ○ Bullet-proof glass at sensitive locations in various buildings ○ Doors that were unlocked before Newtown shooting now locked	Approved by school board	○ $613,000 (installation of new systems and hiring of guards for remainder of current school year) ○ $315,000 annually (security guards for 2013-2014 school year and thereafter)
Hamden	○ Increased police presence ○ Security review underway	Approved	$5,000 spent
Madison	○ Install front door buzzer systems so all exterior doors can remain locked throughout the day	Approved	$45,000
Manchester	○ Surveillance cameras ○ Electronic locking devices ○ other security upgrades	Proposed	$400,000
Milford	○ Hire four new SROs ○ Hire greeters to decide who should enter and patrol hallways ○ Replacement of all locks in city's 14 schools ○ Add surveillance cameras ○ Seeking money to install rapid call buttons	Approved by Board of Aldermen	○ Up to $300,000 for SROs ○ $133,000 for greeters ○ Some locks already replaced for $420,000 through bonding, cost to replace remaining locks $220,000 ○ $86,000 for rapid call buttons
New Haven	○ Community police officers actively connecting with schools in their neighborhood ○ Conducted review of security systems, which resulted in repairs ○ Create keycard systems for exterior entry to internal doors	Repairs already done	$12,000 for repairs
Newtown	Hire armed police officers for all 4 elementary schools	Approved by finance board, but school budget voted down in 2 referendums	Nearly $1 million
North Branford	○ Hire six armed security guards for town schools ○ Guards will carry two-way radio, will have background in law enforcement and current firearms permit ○ Guards will be trained by police department	Approved	$137,000 per year
North Haven	○ Upgrade security for four elementary schools and middle school ○ Hire armed school resource officers	Proposed	Security upgrades: $1 million Armed SROs: $250,000 per year
Orange	○ Rapid call buttons in each school ○ Identification badge entry system ○ New automatic locks on all classroom doors ○ Video surveillance system ○ Sally ports at entrance to each school ○ Seeking an SRO position.	Some approved, SRO position proposed.	$150,000 approved. Town will also bond $705,000
Plainfield	○ Intercom system for all classrooms at one school ○ Door control buzzer at entrance of two buildings ○ Rear entrance surveillance systems at two schools ○ Panic buzzer providing immediate contact with police at various schools ○ Fencing repairs at outdoor play areas at two schools	Approved	$49,000
Ridgefield	○ Eight unarmed security guards hired and stationed at each school ○ Check-in protocol: use of only one entrance, visitors must present photo ID, recording of visitor purpose and entry and exit times ○ Computer, phone, and door buzzer being set up for guard stations ○ One evening security guard hired for high school ○ 2 additional SROs and surveillance cameras ○ Additional request for bulletproof window locks expected later this spring or early summer	Approved by town boards, awaiting May referendum	$565,000 proposed for school security in 2013-2014 budget
Rocky Hill	○ Considered hiring 4 additional full-time SROs, one for each school during school hours ○ Instead, will devote that proposed money to create a security fund to use for yet to be determined school safety upgrades ○ Will hire Manhattan security firm to determine how best to improve school security	SRO proposal removed from budget (in addition to planned installation of sprinklers) to create a $1.6 million fund for school safety upgrades	SROs would have cost $255,000 plus benefits ($362,000 total) annually
Seymour	○ Considering hiring 4 full-time SROs	Subject to town-wide vote this spring	$377,000 annually
Simsbury	Considering hiring 1 additional SRO to work at both middle and elementary schools	Proposed	More than $100,000 annually ($77,000 salary plus benefits)
Sprague	○ Electronic locks with “panic button” on all interior doors at town's only school ○ Bullet-resistant film on all doors and windows on school's exterior ○ Construction of six-foot gate	Proposed	$45,000 (electronic locks) $19,000 (bullet-resistant film) $10,300 (gate)
Tolland	○ Upgrade surveillance equipment (updated camera licensing and increased storage capacity) ○ Structural changes to school designs	Proposed	$54,990
Wallingford	○ Install electronic access system at town's two high schools ○ Update intercom system ○ Cellphone repeaters at schools with poor cellular signals	Approved	Over $400,000
West Hartford	○ One additional full-time and two part-time security officers ○ Installation of panic buttons and keycard access systems	Proposed	$77,000
Westport	○ School safety study	Proposed	$100,000
Wethersfield	○ New position: Director of Security and Residency ○ Also seeking federal grant to fund police officer in middle school	New director position eliminated from budget	Would have cost $65,000 annually

Ridgefield Public Schools, School Security Update, http://www.ridgefield.org/subsite/dist/news/2013/01/09/security-update-138378 (April 2, 2013).


June 5, 2013		2013-R-0164 (Revised)
NEW SCHOOL DISTRICT SECURITY MEASURES

By: Michael Csere, Legislative Fellow