Clear Creek ISD board approves final technology round of security upgrades

It has been nearly a year and a half since the Clear Creek ISD board of trustees approved districtwide upgrades to improve security after the nearby Santa Fe shooting, and the end is in sight.

On Oct. 28, the board unanimously approved the final technology phase of security upgrade projects for a guaranteed maximum price of $12.14 million from 2017 bond funds.

The work will include constructing controlled access points, intrusion detection and surveillance cameras at 36 district campuses and buildings. Technology upgrades are already underway at the remaining 13 campuses from the previous phase of upgrades, according to a district press release.

“This is work that evolved from the CCISD School Safety Committee that convened in 2018,” Superintendent Greg Smith said in the release. “These projects reinforce our commitment to maintaining a safe and secure learning environment for children and go beyond the initial recommendations of the committee.”

The approved recommendations included facility upgrades, hiring additional security personnel, addressing students’ mental well-being through additional student support counselors, implementing security training and protocols, and improving communication district-wide.

“The shared vision our board of trustees has with district leadership is paramount in continually meeting the needs of our students here in CCISD,” Brian Palazzi, director of the Safe and Secure Schools program, said in the release. “Their recent approval of the technology [and] security upgrades is an essential first step in a multifaceted approach to keep all of our students physically, socially and emotionally safe.”