ORLANDO, Fla. — Locally based Williams Company Building Division began the Orange County (Fla.) Public Schools’ $28.5 million renovation to Boone High School in Orlando.

Williams Company Building Division is serving as general contractor for the $28.5 million Boone High School Capital Renewal and renovation project now underway.

The Capital Renewal portion of the project will lengthen the life of the school buildings, and the replacement of the auditorium will update that component of the Boone campus similar to auditoriums recently constructed on other Orange County (Fla.) Public Schools’ High School campuses. Bob Lipscomb, CEO of Williams Company, explained that the one challenge working on the Boone project(s) thus far has been the limited access due to the size of the property, and the close proximity to adjacent occupied buildings and houses.

The Capital Renewal project at Boone includes the demolition of the standing auditorium, which will be replaced by a new $11.5 million auditorium, as well as a refurbishment and expansion of the existing cafeteria, and replacing building components that are beyond their useful life in different school buildings. These replacements include new roofing and HVAC systems as well as a newly installed campus-wide fire alarm system.

The project will operate under six separate phases, with Phase I including constructing a new stormwater exfiltration system and Phase II involving the demolition and replacement of the new auditorium building as well as a track and baseball field renovation. Phase III consists of the construction of new gymnasium and Business/Law Magnet building, with Phase IV continuing construction on the auditorium and gym along with capital renewal work beginning on two buildings. Phase V and VI will be the beginning and end of construction on the new cafeteria.

“One unique aspect about the work we are doing at Boone High School is that we are actually orchestrating several smaller projects while operating and managing them as one large project,” said Lipscomb. “When we leave the Boone campus, we will have completed the Capital Renewal work, the auditorium replacement, gymnasium replacement, emergency generator and cafeteria renovation projects.”

The project broke ground in 2018 and is expected for completion in 2020.

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The life of just one student is priceless, however, schools and universities must operate within often slim budgets. A combination of security films, screens and excellent overall security awareness, we believe, can make a huge difference in school safety and security.
Anthony J. Van Gorp has 14 years of law enforcement experience and established Investigative Solutions & Consulting Services Inc. in 2002 and the Van Gorp Group in 2013. The Van Gorp Group provides executive protection, armed and unarmed security, consulting and training services. Van Gorp Group is a 3M safety and security film distributor in Indiana as well as a TAPCO security screen and door distributor.

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Safety and security window film is a tool that, when integrated with a well-planned system of security measures, can offer a school community both greater security and greater peace of mind. Safety and security film is a polyester-based product that, when professionally installed, strengthens a building’s windows, which in turn protects the building and its occupants. Window film is used in many applications, with increasing popularity in municipal and commercial structures.

Whether you’re renovating or building a new school facility, window film is a safety and security measure worth incorporating. Here are two reasons school leaders and construction managers should consider window film:

1. Anti-Intrusion

Windows and doors are the most vulnerable parts of a building. They are points of entry for people that may mean harm to the occupants. Glass is also an inviting target for vandals intent on mischief or worse. The main benefit of safety and security film is to provide an invisible shield that offers protection from broken glass and deters or delays unwanted entry. When ordinary annealed glass breaks, it poses considerable danger, but with filmed glass this hazard may be significantly reduced.

Keep in mind that the use of safety window film alone will not prevent intrusion through glass. Instead, it increases the amount of time needed to break through and can deter the efforts of the potential intruder altogether after multiple unsuccessful attempts to enter through the filmed glass.

To further increase the performance of filmed glass, consider affixing the security film to the window frame using one of the various attachment systems on the market today such as Gullwing, Lifeline or FrameGard. Attaching film to the window frame eliminates the vulnerable area where the film stops at the glazing gasket. This transfers the load or pressure typically applied to the filmed glass to the entire glazed opening, increasing the performance of the window against intrusion threats.

2. Privacy & Protection

As most schools operate during daylight hours, an intruder can still see into classrooms — even if the blinds are drawn in some cases. Each window is essentially a map to the entire school. Potential intruders can easily see in and gather details of the entire school — the hallways, media center, office, cafeteria, etc. — which makes it easier to create a plan to gain entry and target victims.

For the leaders at Ballston Spa Elementary School in New York, the decision to use professionally installed window film was a cost-effective solution that made their school safer for staff and students. With the installation of Madico’s SafetyShield 800, the school now adheres to national building and safety codes. The film does not affect the performance of wired glass as a fire stop; window film doesn’t get in the way of aesthetics or existing window benefits.

There are so many moving parts to a school construction project from budgetary concerns to the project timeline and the impact of an active construction site on student focus. However, the most important thing to keep in mind is the safety of staff and students. As you plan your next construction project, think about the benefits of today’s security window films for the entire school community — and be sure to consult a safety film expert.

Michael Mancini is the director of marketing for Madico Inc., in St. Petersburg, Fla. Madico develops, manufactures and markets technologically advanced film laminates.

Read more about how window film can improve school safety in the May issue of School Construction News.
 

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The district spent $12,300 on 10 semi-automatic Bushmaster military-style rifles for its eight security officers, despite the fact that they are not police officers. This is the first time a school will heavily arm school guards who aren’t part of any law enforcement agency, reported the New York Daily News.

The school district already has four layers of security in place. This includes 56 campus security specialists, school marshals, nine school resource officers and the eight security patrol officers — many of which are already armed, according to the New York Daily News. The eight officers with access to the weapons are all former law enforcement officers and will be required to complete an annual, 20-hour training course before they are able to operate the equipment.

DCSD Security Director Richard Payne decided to buy the semi-automatic rifles in July 2015 without consulting the school board or the superintendent, Public Information Officer Paula Hans told the New York Daily News. Payne made the decision during a training session, in which the security officers realized the sheriff’s deputies were using long rifles as opposed to handguns.

The district’s finance team flagged the purchase in January and brought it to the superintendent’s attention; however, School Board President Meghann Silverthorn told TheDenverChannel.com that the purchase did not require board approval because it was less than $750,000.

Hans told The New York Daily News that Payne believed the officers needed the rifles in case they were the first to respond to an active-shooter scene. The school district includes 86 campuses across 900 square miles that serve about 67,000 students, and security officials were concerned that police officers may not arrive quickly enough.

Dan Montgomery, a police and safety consultant and former police chief in Westminster, Colo., told The Denver Post that the decision was “unusual.” He said that proper training and secure storage are major concerns when handling the military-style rifles.

In the DCSD’s case, the 10 semi-automatic rifles will be stored in a locked safe within the security department.

Other schools in remote areas have purchased firearms, including the isolated Garden Valley School in Idaho that armed faculty members with four rifles and 2,000 rounds of ammunition last spring.
 

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Members of task force include representatives from the state’s Department of Education, Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and the Schools Development Authority as well as members of several state-level education organizations. The group was created by a state statute in August 2013, and has since been examining potential safety improvements related to architectural design, staff training, screening systems and technology, emergency communication plans, preventing cyber attacks and ensuring a secure school perimeter. The group made a total of 42 recommendations to the New Jersey Legislature, which commissioned the report, on July 9, including those related to the use of panic alarms, student and visitor identification cards, and even the risks posed by proximity to chemical facilities or nuclear power plants.

“New Jersey has always taken an active role in developing and implementing programs designed to protect our students,” said Commissioner of Education David Hespe, who co-chaired the 11-member task force, in a statement. “This task force worked hard to build upon this tradition of success. Their report will serve as an important guide in our continuing work to ensure that our schools are safe learning environments for all children.”

“One of the major focuses of the task force was to build on the state’s movement toward strengthening the school security policies and practices employed in New Jersey,” said Christopher Rodriguez, director of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and co-chair of the task force, in a statement.

“Protecting our children during school hours and at after school activities is an around-the-clock job that requires a strong working relationship among law enforcement, school officials, parents and the community,” Rodriguez continued. “This is consistent with the work of my office and vital to allowing New Jersey’s children — and their teachers — to focus on learning.”

Along with fellow task force members, Hespe and Rodriguez reviewed earlier school safety studies, conducted site visits at various schools, and met with law enforcement agencies as well as safety experts to glean feedback and input throughout the process. While some of the resulting recommendations can be implemented administratively on the state or local level, others will require amendments to current New Jersey laws and regulations, according to a statement by the state Department of Education.

The full report can be found here.

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These findings indicate that some attacks could have been prevented, and emphasizes the importance of creating safe campus programs. Safety awareness programs could help improve the overall safe campus perception and encourage students to report activities they may otherwise ignore.

Identifying Potential Threats
While it is understood that only a school psychologist or other mental health practitioner can truly determine and/or identify potential threats, it is important to develop guidelines so that other people know what to report. A threat could be an expression of violence in writing, or drawing. It might be patterns of impulsive or chronic intimidation or bullying of others, or it may simply be social withdrawal. When someone notices these characteristics the proper persons should be promptly notified. It is possible that reporting these early warning signs may serve to help troubled individuals and should be a part of any plan for prevention or intervention.

A few of the outward indicators of potentially dangerous student behavior that might be reported by a teacher, classmate, parent or other concerned individual were developed by the National School Safety Center. They include:

• Has a history of tantrums and uncontrollable angry outbursts
• Characteristically resorts to name calling, cursing or abusive language
• Habitually makes violent threats when angry
• Has previously brought a weapon to school
• Has a background of serious disciplinary problems at school and in the community
• Has a background of drug, alcohol or other substance abuse or dependency
• Is on the fringe of his/her peer group with few or no close friends
• Is preoccupied with weapons, explosives or other incendiary devices
• Has previously been truant, suspended or expelled from school
• Displays cruelty to animals
• Has little or no supervision and support from parents or a caring adult
• Has witnessed or been a victim of abuse or neglect in the home
• Has been bullied and/or bullies or intimidates peers or younger children
• Tends to blame others for difficulties and problems s/he causes her/himself
• Consistently prefers TV shows, movies or music expressing violent themes and acts
• Prefers reading materials dealing with violent themes, rituals and abuse
• Reflects anger, frustration and the dark side of life in school essays or writing projects
• Is involved with a gang or an antisocial group on the fringe of peer acceptance
• Is often depressed and/or has significant mood swings
• Has threatened or attempted suicide

What to Expect From Your Security Service Provider
Expert security service providers take into consideration the research and recommendations on this critical topic made available by many different federal agencies including the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services. Research shows that prevention through communication and identifying early warning signs is one of the most critical parts of any campus security program.

Targeted violence in a school is defined as any incident of violence where a known or knowable attacker selects a particular target prior to the violent attack. Taking this into consideration, the U.S. Secret Service published “Threat Assessment in Schools.” This guide explains how to manage threatening situations and create safe school climates. By building assets that are integrated into the school, family and community, responsive decision-making can be developed.

Security service providers research publications and previous events in preparation for partnering with educational institutions. Those partnerships begin by forming a school safety committee to provide oversight. The committee, representing different school departments, provides guidance for the overall safety and security objectives of the campus. Security professionals work with the committee to review incidents and develop programs that enhance campus safety through education, training, social media and the ongoing awareness that is developed through such a program.

Your security services provider should develop a checklist that takes into consideration the physical plant, lighting, existing alarm systems, audio and visual systems and the use of social media. These, along with other potential threats, are evaluated and used to create a customized plan. Whether it be a bomb scare, chemical agent leak or threat of violence, the potential crisis is evaluated and a threat analysis is completed.

Partnerships involving educational institutions and security service providers help the school to develop a plan for effective intervention with at-risk youth demonstrating behavioral difficulties. Trained security professionals work with administrators and staff to ensure that their long-term safety and security objectives are met. By creating an environment that allows properly trained individuals to engage in intervention/response, security providers can help schools identify crises and eliminate potential threats before they occur. It is imperative that every program plans for a recovery process that enables the school community to respond appropriately and quickly, and to provide necessary care and support. Minimizing the trauma and emotional distress that affects a learning institution after a crisis event has occurred is also a top priority.

No school can prevent all crisis events nor give the assurance that such events will never take place on their campus. What a security service provider can do when partnering with schools is ensure that every reasonable solution has been evaluated, considered, discussed and planned for accordingly. The goal is to secure the campus by limiting access, developing awareness programs and providing a safe and enjoyable educational experience for students.

Kent Jurney, CPP, is vice president of client services at ABM Security Services. He has been developing and delivering security protocol and training to schools and private industry for over forty years.

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“We are about educating students and increasing the number of Georgians who have completed college,” University System Chancellor Hank Huckaby told AJC.com on May 19. “To continue to do this, we must provide our students, faculty and staff a safe environment, and we will apply best practices at each campus. This is a fundamental change in the way we have been operating across our system of institutions.”

Formed in October 2014, the committee, which also includes four student representatives and a number of other college and university officials, conducted a comprehensive review of policies and procedures at the various USG institutions The committee was charged with developing recommendations related to improvements to public safety, including compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), and campus law-enforcement agency assessment and training needs.

Following the review, the committee advised that Georgia institutions should “receive specific education and training related to their reporting responsibilities, requests for confidentiality, and Title IX requirements,” according to the report. The committee recommended that training be customized, mandatory and system-wide to ensure consistency and that all standards are met. It further recommended that the schools develop a single, centralized website to maintain, collect and publicize related information. This website should include “clear, specific and comprehensive information about how the USG defines, investigates and resolves incidents of sexual assault, sexual harassment, domestic/dating violence and stalking,” according to the report.

The group’s Clery Act subcommittee further recommended that each institution identify a Clery Act coordinator — as well as a coordinating committee — to provide consistency and guidance. Clear records should also be kept of Clery Act crimes, including geographic information, according to the report.

Recommendations regarding campus law enforcement included better defining the essential functions of campus police departments, and establishing and implementing law enforcement department assessment programs focused on administration, patrol, investigations, communications and campus community policing.

Additional recommendations included the establishment of a public safety committee and training program at each institution, the implementation of a system-wide employee assistance program for public safety personnel to provide support in managing stressful situations and ensuring that security officials are allowed appropriate access to college and university leaders to drive home the importance of campus safety and security.

The full report is available here.

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Safe and Sound provides schools and communities with toolkits, ideas and resources to help assess the safety of their facilities, along with strategies for making schools safer. The organization’s ultimate goal is to unite the national school community with a nonpartisan, grassroots approach to problem solving and provide school communities a platform for building local and national partnerships between parents, educators, students, first responders, safety and security experts, and community members. Assa Abloy was announced as the organization’s newest platinum sponsor in October, and will support Safe and Sound’s efforts to improve school safety.

Assa Abloy has long provided entrance and access solutions that address common K-12 facility challenges like classroom security, sound transmission control, accessibility and energy efficiency. The company’s security professionals also conduct no-cost school site assessments, and will work together with Safe and Sound to increase public awareness of school safety. Though the amount of the company’s gift was not disclosed, Platinum sponsors include only those contributing $15,000 or more annually, according to the Safe and Sound website.

In a statement, the company outlined its support for the organization and its mission of empowering communities to improve the safety and security of their schools.

“Assa Abloy supports Safe and Sound’s goal of creating a safe learning environment that protects students and staff,” said Mike McGorty, executive vice president of sales for Assa Abloy Door Security Solutions, in a statement. “We are proud to sponsor Safe and Sound and share our expertise in school security. Together, we will make a lasting impact in the safety of our schools and well-being of our children.”

“We are grateful for Assa Abloy’s generous support of our mission at Safe and Sound,” co-founder Michele Gay added. “Through support like this, our work is made possible and our message, materials, and resources are shared with school communities
nationwide.”

The sponsorship announcement coincided with America’s Safe Schools Week, a week- long public awareness campaign headed by the National School Safety Center designed to bring greater attention to the importance of school safety. The event provided an ideal starting point to begin the joint effort.

The company has recently launched several safety-related products for use in schools, including the Security Sidelight doorframe unit. This particular product includes both a window panel alongside the door, as well as a heavy duty hinged panel that can close over that window from within the classroom, offering light and visual access when open and added security when closed.

“Studies show [school intruders] are looking for a sure bet,” Vice President of Marketing for Assa Abloy’s Architectural Hardware Group Leslie Saunders told WFSB in an interview. “If they don’t know that the room is occupied they will typically pass it by.”

Additionally, Assa Abloy’s RF Fob allows teachers to automatically lock their classroom door from up to 75 feet away via a small key fob attached to their person. A secure lock attached to the inside of the door prevents outside access, while ensuring teachers and students can still quickly exit the classroom.

“You always should have free egress from a room,” Saunders told WFSB, “but people should not be able to get in.”

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Survey questions focused primarily on school climate, including perceptions of disciplinary practices, student support efforts and degree of student engagement, as well as safety conditions such as bullying, teasing, physical assault and gang activity. Dr. Cornell said in a statement that the findings will help gauge schools’ strengths and weaknesses in terms of student and teacher safety, and stimulate discussions and clarification on how schools deal with student misbehavior.

According to the report, students largely believe that teachers and school officials are invested in their success and wellbeing. Eighty-six percent of students reported that teachers want all students in their school to do well, and 74 percent said teachers care about students and treat them with respect. Likewise, teachers almost unanimously described their relationships with students as supportive and respectful.

Student views on their school climate, however, were less cohesive. Just 67 percent of students reported that their school’s rules are fair, with 61 percent agreeing that rules were enforced equally. Nearly 80 percent noted that race and ethnicity had no impact on disciplinary situations.

Perhaps surprisingly, 84 percent of students reported that they like school, with 81 percent declaring they are proud of their institution. Nearly 100 percent of students surveyed expected to graduate.

Questions concerning safety conditions and perceptions of personal safety received less student support, though most (82 percent) reported that they feel safe in their schools. Despite this number, 38 percent of students reported being bullied, and 67 percent reported being teased about their physical appearance. An additional 40 percent reported being targeted for their sexual orientation.

A slightly higher percentage of teachers, more than 90 percent, reported feeling physically safe at their schools, though only 72 percent were satisfied with the security measures currently in place. Twenty-eight percent reported worries that their school would experience a shooting.

This fear may not be unfounded, as the study also showed that issues like theft and violence are still frequent concerns for many students. Thirty percent of students reported being victims of theft, while 17 percent have suffered physical violence such as hitting or pushing. More than 20 percent have been threatened with such violence, though less than 20 percent of affected students reported the abuse.

“There is so much coverage of school violence that we think it is important to point out some good news about the overall safety of our schools,” Professor Cornell said in a statement. “Both students and teachers report feeling safe at school, and the incidence of physical violence is very low. At the same time, we know that bullying and teasing can be a seedbed for acts of violence and so it is important for schools to address these kinds of problems before they escalate.”
A summary of the survey can be viewed at: http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/vcscs/documents/Exec%20Summary%20of%20State%20Technical%20Report%20for%202014%20High%20School%20Survey%207-30-14.pdf

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The report is the 16th of its kind to be issued, and provides the most recent national indicators on school crime and safety. Data was drawn from national surveys of students, teachers, principals and post secondary institutions, covering topics such as victimization, teacher injury, bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, availability and use of drugs and alcohol, student perceptions of personal safety, and criminal incidents at postsecondary institutions.

Starting on a positive note, researchers reported that total victimization rates for students ages 12 to 18 declined both inside and outside of school between 1992 and 2012. In 2012, students were victims of about 1,364,900 nonfatal victimizations at school, including 615,600 thefts and 749,200 violent victimizations, 89,000 of which were serious violent victimizations. Seven percent of students in grades 9–12 also reported being threatened or injured with a weapon, such as a gun or knife.
Gender and geography appear to play a role in incidents of school violence, as male students tended to experience higher school victimization rates than their female counterparts throughout 2012. Urban and suburban students also experienced higher rates of violent victimization than those attending rural schools.

Teachers were also not immune from abusive and threatening behavior. Public teachers reported being threatened with injury or being physically attacked by a student more often than private school educators during the 2011-2012 school year. Elementary teachers were also slightly more likely to experience abuse or threats, with 10 percent reporting such incidents as opposed to 9 percent of secondary teachers.

Crime was experienced almost universally in schools during the 2009-2010 school year, as 85 percent of public schools recorded that one or more crime incidents had taken place, amounting
 to an estimated 1.9 million crimes. According to the study, this translates 
to a rate of 40 crimes per 1,000 public school students enrolled in 2009–10. During the same
 year, 60 percent of public schools reported a crime incident that occurred at school to the police, amounting to 689,000 crimes.

However, between 1993 and 2011, the percentage of students in grades 9–12 who reported carrying a weapon on school property declined, from 12 percent to 5 percent. Students carrying weapons were almost four times as likely to be male.
Declining crime in some areas could be attributed to the fact that 88 percent of public schools reported controlling access to school buildings through locking or monitoring in 2011-2012, and 64 percent reported using security cameras. During the previous year, 43 percent of public schools also reported the presence of one or more security staff at their school at least once a week during the school year, and 29 percent reported having at least one full-time employed security staff member present at least once a week. Twenty-eight percent of all schools reported the presence of security staff routinely carrying a firearm at school
Other security measures included a student code of conduct, required visitor sign in, staff supervision, security electronics, and metal detectors.
The entire report is available at: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/ crimeindicators2013/

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