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UPGRADING SAFETY
As part of the Conroe ISD 2019 bond, a total of $44.5 million was included for safety and security updates. The Woodlands area schools will see a total of $8.8 million in improvements.
PROJECTS AT LOCAL SCHOOLS Radio signal upgrades $2.81 MILLION Security camera upgrades $808,000 Door/access control systems $1.5 MILLION
Security lighting $385,000
SOURCE: CONROE ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
KEY
Exterior door/access control systems
Generator replacement
Upgrade security cameras
Upgrade re alarm system
Radio signal ampli er
Exterior security lighting
Upgrade re sprinkler system
Americans with Disabilities Act compliant
Hallway improvements
RIDE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
YORK JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
COLLEGE PARK HIGH SCHOOL
THE WOODLANDS HIGH SCHOOL
GLEN LOCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL $330,000 $330,000 total
$150,000
$920,000
$152,000 $420,000
$200,000
$150,000 total
$152,000
$250,000
$500,000
$500,000
$300,000 $300,000
$300,000
$300,000
HOUSER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL $100,000 $125,000
COLLINS INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL $100,000
$1.37 million total
$1.87 million total
$1.05 million total
WILKERSON INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL $100,000
OAK RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL
OAK RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL 9TH CAMPUS
$125,000
$152,000
$152,000
$150,000
$200,000
$920,000
$300,000
$150,000 $195,000
$775,000
$425,000 total
$300,000
$190,000
$445,000 total
$1.82 million total
$1.34 million total
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Adapting security According to Blakelock, parents and students were worried in the nal days of the 2021-22 school year after the Uvalde shooting, which killed 19 students and two teachers. “The last few days of school last year, we had parents dropping their kids o , and the parents were cry- ing,” Blakelock said. “They were very scared, and they were very upset.” The number of active shooter inci- dents—which include schools and other populated locations—across the country has risen over the past two years, according to the FBI. An FBI active shooter report compar- ing 2020 to 2021 stated the number of shootings increased from 40 in 19 states to 61 in 30 states. The report also states the number of casualties excluding shooters increased from 164 to 243, and the total number of people killed increased from 38 to 103. One security update that has been accomplished over the past year was an overhaul to the district’s radio systems. When completed, the bond-funded initiative is estimated to cost $3.6 million, according to bond documents.
“Anytime you talk about prepared- ness or crises, communication is one of the biggest issues,” Blakelock said. He said the new radio system extends to safety outside of the school as they are also in buses. Previously, the radio system was localized and limited in range, and if a bus had an emergency, multiple calls would have to be made before the issue could be resolved. “Now we have the capability with our new radio system. … It a ords us to have more channels we can use and more people able to communicate across campus,” Blakelock said. There has also been an increased focus on preventive measures at CISD. “We are always looking at new tech- nologies that work for us and are a good solution—things like a panic but- ton solution as a potential option for the district, adding security cameras where there could be vulnerabilities and increasing the sta to manage those and looking at ways to control access to the building,” Blakelock said. Blakelock said along with lling vacancies, he wants to hire additional school resource o cers and has been authorized to continue hiring as long as he can nd quali ed individuals to serve in the district. The minimum
starting pay for an o cer is $50,142. Mamie Prejean, CISD coordinator of guidance and counseling, said o - cers with the CISD police department receive mental health rst aid as part of their training. Canady said he believes the role of student resource o cers is not for everybody. “They have to be speci cally trained. Some of the things we focus on is training them to respond to vio- lent situations,” Canady said. “They are working with students every day, so they have to understand ado- lescents are going through the sec- ond-most brain development in their lives, and that a ects how they react to things.” Ongoing and future developments Among the physical changes planned for schools across the district are more limited, secure entrances. “If you go to any of the campuses now, you will see they have a secure vestibule [at the front entrance],” Blakelock said. “Someone has to be buzzed in, and before they can enter a campus, they will have to be buzzed in through another door. The actual structures of the buildings
already been put in place, includ- ing secure vestibules and new radio systems. Throughout the remainder of 2022, the district will be completing the third phase of safety and security updates from the $654 million bond approved by voters in 2019, of which $44.5 million was dedicated for secu- rity improvements. From a national perspective, Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource O cers, said he anticipates there to be an even greater need for a security presence in schools across the country following the May 24 shooting in Uvalde. “We have experienced fairly steady growth since [the 1990s],” Canady said. “School shootings drive the demand; there is no question about it. I wish it was not that way, but it is.” Evan Roberson, executive director of Tri-County Behavioral Health, said the demand for mental health ser- vices at CISD has also risen. “Demand is high for services across our service area, regardless of age,” Roberson said.
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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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