At a Jan. 24 meeting, board members approved $2,914,245 in construction costs to accelerate security improvement projects at more than 15 schools across the district.
“Since there were some security issues in the state recently, we've been asked to accelerate that construction schedule,” district staff said.
The buildings undergoing security improvements are:
- Bennett, Finch, McClure, McGowen, Minshew, Press and Wilmeth elementary schools;
- Cockrill, Dowell, Evans and Faubion middle schools;
- McKinney, McKinney Boyd and McKinney North high schools; and
- Lawson Early Childhood School and the Greer Building, an MISD office building.
The main project at all listed schools is to create vestibules, the enclosed space between two sets of doors serving as the entrance to the school building. School vestibules are typically connected to the front desk through an intercom system to let in visitors.
Thousands of dollars have already been allocated specifically for furnishing bullet resistant doors, windows and film at each school’s new vestibule, according to meeting documents.
Each school’s overall project costs range from $90,000-$245,000, according to meeting documents.
The second security improvement is installing walls and classroom doors at “open design” kindergarten areas at Bennett, Eddins, Glen Oaks and Wolford elementary schools, according to meeting documents.
All projects will be headed by Balfour Beatty Construction and are expected to be finished by the end of summer 2023.
