New Search
Fec~era~Priorities 2007 Pubic Safety Justice <br />Student Safety & ,School: Security <br />Initiative <br />Request. <br />Springfield Public Schools (SPS) requests $500,000 to conduct a <br />substantial upgrade of school security equipment and technology. <br />The District has been able to offset the cost of this $1 million project <br />with community funds.-via. a 2006 bond measure. The requested <br />federal resources will allow SPS to focus on the high schools and ~~~ <br />fully implement the Crime Prevention Through Environmental .Design CHA~~~~~~5 <br />~, (CPTED) recommendations provided by .the U.S. Department of <br />Education..:. <br />Through a variety of strategies, SPS will be able to address the <br />security challenges outlined below, dramatically-improving the safety <br />and security at Springfield's two comprehensive high schools: The requested funds will be used <br />in partnership with local and state resources to address school security challenges and provide <br />up-to-date technological solutions. <br />.Background <br />School safety has always been a high priority within the Springfield community. The Thurston <br />High School. shooting in 1998. served as a catalyst to .spark Springfield Public. Schools to an <br />even. greater .commitment to school security in the hopes. of reducing the .likelihood of <br />vandalism, theft, and ,school violence: Acitizen-led long-term facilities planning committee <br />conducted an evaluation of all our schools based on key categories, including school security, <br />revealing many security gaps at the schools-particularly the high schools. <br />Some of these -gaps have already been addressed through a variety of funding sources. <br />Numerous capital improvement projects have been completed on school .offices to help. them <br />', <br />serve as primary gatekeepers and observation posts. for the. entrances to schools, a key <br />recommendation- of .Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). These and <br />other recommended upgrades such as fencing, security and parking lot lighting, office entrance <br />retrofits, security camera installation at the high schools, and facility .access control <br />improvements, have-been fiunded using SPS resources: SPS participated in a ,matching funds <br />partnership as part of a COPS Grant to receive additional. fencing at Thurston High. School. SPS <br />has also conducted crisis planning and preparation with staff and local law enforcement <br />agencies as part of an Emergency Response and Crisis Management Grant. <br />Although SPS has made great gains, we need federal resources to help us implementthe many - <br />- security issues that remain to be addressed in order to meet the recommended protective <br />measures. <br />~: <br />-. Security Challenges and Solutions <br />Springfield's two large, comprehensive high schools face unique challenges and call for unique <br />solutions. The threat of school violence is only one of a variety of potential problems; more <br />commonly. reported are vandalism. and theft incidents..With more than-1,500 students .each, <br />29 <br />