Middletown Looks To Boost Security At 10 Schools

MIDDLETOWN, CT – Middletown Public School is applying to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection for a School Security grant to support security improvements at 10 schools.

“We are allowed to apply for items for each school, so we put into the grant every item that was suggested,” Natalie Forbes said, director of innovations and grants, during the Middletown Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, May 9.

The total project budget is $558,528.78 of which the state portion is $363,043.71, and the local part is $195,485.07.

Marco Gaylord, Executive Director of Operations, worked with Middletown Police Department Community Services Division to complete the Public School Safe Schools Checklist for each school to determine the individual school requests.

Middletown High School has the highest project budget at $124,107.04 for interior cameras, exterior cameras, scan card access control, radios and motorized blinds. Followed by Farm Hill Elementary School, $62,932.51 for internal cameras, external cameras, scan card access control, and radios. Beman Middle School rounds out the Top 3 security budgets with $61,253.76 for interior cameras, exterior cameras, scan card access control and radios.

Other schools on the list are Bielefield Elementary School, Lawrence Elementary School, Macdonough Elementary School, Moody Elementary School, Snow Elementary School, Spencer Elementary School and Wesley Elementary School.

“There’s about $10 million on the table, and it may very well be the case that all applicants are funded, or a percentage is funded,” said Forbes.

Forbes said if the grant is awarded, they will quickly contact vendors and act within a day or two of receiving the award.

“This is a very important issue for our district, and we take it very seriously,” she said. “Our preparations are thorough in the submission of this grant.”

Besides the school’s physical security, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Alberto Vázquez Matos said the school district also invests in the cyber security of the schools.

“We are investing and upgrading to a new firewall for the next academic year for the district,” he said.