The Warren County School System is still looking for a company to install security access doors for all of the schools in the county. The doors will include a security card entrance system, complete with cameras, to monitor the entrance.
County Executive John Pelham announced during a recent Financial Management Committee meeting that only two companies had bid on installing security systems for the schools and both bids came in over the expected budget of $80,000.
The engineer for the project, Ken Roberts of Engineering Consultants and Design Inc., met with Director of Schools Bobby Cox to rethink the bid specifications. The item was withdrawn and will be put out for rebidding at a later date.
Greater school security became an issue following the Newtown, Conn., tragedy in December in which 26 students and school officials were shot to death.
Armed officers in every school and bullet-resistant glass have been discussed by officials, but the installation of cameras and magnetic locks, the School Board believes, is a good first step at securing area schools and keeping students and faculty safe.
The new system will require visitors to be buzzed in when they arrive at one of the public entrances. Someone watching a camera inside will be in charge of allowing access. Faculty and staff will have swipe cards they can use to enter the buildings. Each time they use their cards, their movements will be logged.
“We want all this done by the coming school year,” said Cox at a previous School Board meeting. The changes, Cox said, will help better regulate those who enter buildings on any of the campuses.
Others bids awarded during the Financial Management Committee meeting were:
• Bobby Ray Elementary will receive new playground equipment by Miracle Recreation at a cost of $14,589.
• Institutional Wholesale was the low bidder on food and non-food items for the school system. The contract is from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 with an option to renew for three additional years.
• The dish machine chemical bid will go to Rayco, which was the low bidder.
• Warren County buildings HVAC maintenance was awarded to Lee Company. The company will service HVAC units at the administrative building, courthouse, health department and jail. There was a mandatory pre-bid meeting where the companies traveled around the county to see what would be expected of them for the contract. Two companies were represented at the pre-bid meeting but only one company bid for the contract.