New Automated Doors, Cameras Coming to Schools

Before last week's Sandy Hook shooting shook the country, the Windham School District was already planning projects to enhance security in the four schools.

"We're moving a little faster now," said SAU 28 Business Administrator Adam Steel, who spoke about specific safety upgrades that will come to schools.

The first two areas of attention are Golden Brook School and Windham Middle School.

GBS, according to Steel, needs door replacements to the front of the building and to the portables. Those replacements include the frames.

Steel said that as a response to the Connecticut tragedy, the doors to those schools and all others in the district have been locked, and a volunteer or staff member has to go let a visitor in.

An automatic door system will follow the door replacements, and will include cameras and an automatic release.

Those cameras will be monitored by the main office.

Windham Middle School will have the same improvements done to bring it up to speed with the rest of the buildings.

Steel essentially called the high school's security functions half complete, since there is an automatic door system but the doors had previously been unlocked all of the time.

No cameras have been installed yet, so nobody in the main office can see the visitor on a monitor. Those will also be coming.

Steel said that the district will hear back about the cost of the GBS front door system in two weeks.

"I'm not sure that's something we can afford to do in this next fiscal year," he said. "Be prepared for that to be something that we look to do over the summer."

He said that until that automated system is available, the security system is effectively manual.

The new doors would have a similar configuration to those at Windham Center School.

A third improvement that Steel spoke about involves communication.

He said that the district has been working with Windham Police for some time to develop a shared emergency radio channel that will be available between all four buildings, the SAU building and the police department including the dispatch center.

That piece will require a small tower on top of Windham High School, smaller than a cell tower but high enough to get above the tree line.

Windham officers provided a presence last Friday and will continue to be in the schools this week.

WPD Capt. Mike Caron also spoke to the lockdown drills that take place in the schools, which he said the department is hoping to make more interactive in the next few years.

Windham High School was forced into a real lockdown on Monday when a loud bang heard by Assistant Principal Bob Dawson prompted the reaction.