Over $100K in Security Upgrades Coming to Salem Schools

The Salem School Board unanimously endorsed security upgrades to several schools on Tuesday, a project that will be fully implemented in a few months.

The total cost of the upgrades is $105,657.10, and involves intercoms, monitors, cameras and an entry access system being installed for five schools in the district.

SAU57 Director of Maintenance Jack Messenheimer said that the district has spoken with the same vendor that installed secure access systems to Salem's three recently renovated elementary schools – Barron, North Salem and Lancaster.

Salem Superintendent Michael Delahanty explained several places at the five remaining schools that need controlled access points.

Salem High School currently has seven locations, Woodbury School has four, Soule Elementary School has three, Haigh Elementary School has one and Fisk Elementary School has three.

Delahanty endorsed the increased security against his previous beliefs that schools in Salem should not be locked.

"I say that I've never supported locking our doors, but given the times, the tenor (and) the concerns that people have expressed, I would recommend that we change our practice and lock our entry doors," he said. "I just think that perhaps that's the time that we're living in. It's regrettable, difficult for me to make that decision, but if it's going to add a little level of safety, then the appropriate thing to do is to act that way."

The system will give each staff member a means to allow them entry, in this case a key fob, that can be programmed to allow people in at certain times of the day and not at others.

The history of each key fob can also be tracked remotely, and the access key can be shut down if lost or stolen.

The buzzers will be used to contact someone in the main office for those who do not have key fob access.

The project will also provide panic buttons in each main office, with additional buttons in the high school at the library entrance and at the CTE center.

Had the school board not acted on the proposal by Feb. 21, a discount on the card system of over $16,000 might have expired.

The current security systems at the renovated elementary schools are slightly different, with intercoms located in vestibules rather than outside, since most of the other buildings don't have secondary sets of doors.

Gymnasiums at Woodbury and SHS will not see security upgrades, but physical education teachers presently carry keys and lock them manually.

There is no specific timeline for the project. The vendor is also working to upgrade schools in Nashua.

Board member Bernard Campbell suggested a phased option to start at the elementary schools and then assess the situation and move on to upgrading the middle school and high school, but he eventually voted in favor of doing all schools at once.

Fellow board member Peter Morgan echoed Delahanty's comments.

"I think it's a sign of our times that we need to move to this," he said.

Vice Chairman Patricia Corbett agreed.

"I beleive it's a shift in the way we operate and I think it is time that we move towards this," she said.

The money will come out of the Capital Improvement Plan balance, which Campbell said has $304,000 remaining.

Delahanty said that paving projects will likely be pushed back, such as $85,000 for Soule Elementary School and $50,000 for Haigh Elementary School.

He added that if the bond for renovations and additions to Haigh, Soule and Fisk passes, Haigh would have the paving project done anyway.

Delahanty hopes to bring specific protocols back to the board on Feb. 12.