Central upgrades security through school safety fund
By Willis Patenaude | Times-Register
In the aftermath of the pandemic and in the wake of events taking place in schools across the nation as well as in Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds, in June 2022, announced $100 million in school safety funding to support Iowa’s 327 public school districts and 183 non-public and independent schools. This dedicated $75 million to the School Safety Improvement Fund for security improvements, with up to $50,000 available per school building.
Funding was tied to key aspects of the program, which required a “school safety vulnerability assessment,” which received $7.5 million in funding as part of the school safety initiative.
Engineering business Tetra Tech conducted 1,260 building assessments in an effort to identify security weaknesses that, according to the program announcement, could be “exploited in an active assailant/armed intruder scenario.”
Among the security items assessed, which were also eligible for enhancement through the funding, were entry control, electronic security and communications systems, barriers, perimeter security, illumination and building envelope. This could include anything from locks and intrusion detection systems to cameras, call buttons and other security measures.
Despite the support, as of earlier this year, only $1 million had been distributed among roughly 20 school districts. Though those numbers have likely risen since, in the two years since the program was announced, it shows progress has been decidedly low.
The money came from Iowa’s share of the American Rescue Plan Act, signed by President Joe Biden three years ago as a means to help states recover from the Covid pandemic. It’s being utilized as a funding source for the program because of an increase in school safety concerns resulting from the pandemic. This increase has carried over, even as Covid fades into the background.
The Governor’s School Safety Bureau (GSSB) reported a rise in school threats, which have led to 11 arrests since the start of the school year, often with serious charges, including felonies and a charge of terrorism among them. The majority of threats have been reported through the Safe and Sound Iowa app, another Reynolds program started in 2023.
The program is an anonymous school threat-reporting tool for all public and accredited non-public schools across the state, with the intent to prevent violent acts and threats that are often done through social media, which has become the biggest concern for the GSSB. The GSSB predicts Iowa schools will surpass the 300 school threats that were made during the 2023-2024 school year, making the School Safety Improvement Fund all the more important.
That importance was not lost on Central’s School Board and superintendent Nick Trenkamp. Central was one of the schools that applied for funding and went through an 18-month process that started with requesting a vulnerability assessment, which was completed on Dec. 21, 2022, according to school board minutes. Results are protected by Iowa Code 22.7(50), meaning they are confidential and not subject to public disclosure.
However, after receiving assessment results, the board and a sub-committee, including Trenkamp, business manager Allison Walch, principal Aaron Reinhart and maintenance director Eric Bond, chose to focus attention on an upgraded door access system and security cameras, which the school did not have.
According to Trenkamp, these areas were identified as the “priority” of the grant funding, though Trenkamp made clear there were no immediate concerns that motivated participation in the assessment and program.
“We are always looking to improve the safety of our school environment and facilities,” he added.
With the assessment complete, it was a matter of applying for the grant, through which Central received $100,000, and finding a security firm to do the project. Between April 2023 and January 2024, the superintendent’s report indicated meetings with four security firms. By February 2024, the board unanimously approved a bid from Hawkeye Communication.
It was another two months before the state approved the proposed project, but by early June of this year, once school was finished, the project had officially gotten started. By mid-August, the installation of approximately 45 security cameras that can do appearance, similarity, face, line and loitering searches and 13 access points on exterior doors was complete. The total cost of the project was about $140,000, with Trenkamp indicating SAVE (sales tax) dollars were used to cover the cost not funded through the program.
As a result of the funding, Central now has cameras monitoring the outside and inside of the building, but not classrooms. Panic buttons were also installed that quickly connect staff with law enforcement if an emergency takes place.
In addition, all exterior doors are now on the security system, which “allows us to get an alarm every time a door is propped open, plus we can see who is entering and leaving our buildings,” Trenkamp said.
Another change is how staff access the building, which can now be done using a phone app. Trenkamp admitted there have been a few kinks associated with learning new technology and implementing a change, but aside from that, the update “hasn’t really changed anything” about the school day. It has mostly impacted staff gaining access, a problem that has been addressed and rectified, he said.
Although the school board deferred to Trenkamp in regard to comments, including how the new security system benefits Central, Trenkamp offered several examples. Upgrades will allow staff to know who is accessing the building and when, have instant access for law enforcement and emergency personnel and provide the ability to review incidents to ensure accurate information.
Another example, Trenkamp continued, “is if we need to locate someone, we can punch in a description and the video will pull every time someone of that description is caught on one of the cameras. Being notified if a door is open or propped open has helped us secure the building.”
The effort to improve security and safety doesn’t just stop with this program. Trenkamp noted Central is also working with a company called GEOCOMM that is developing Critical Incident Mapping (CIM), which is also part of the School Safety Initiative.
CIM is used for planning and responding to emergencies inside schools. It provides detailed indoor maps of schools and surrounding grounds, as well as key information to streamline and reduce response times to emergencies inside Iowa’s schools.
Additionally, Trenkamp stated Central’s emergency team is reviewing and updating its emergency plan and drills.
