The Round Rock ISD board of trustees Jan. 17 approved $910,000 for new safety-related front entry modifications for 23 schools in the district.

The modifications will require visitors who enter campuses after the first class period begins to enter through the front office before proceeding into the main hallways, according to the district.

Visitors will be processed through an identification system that conducts a background check through the Texas Department of Public Safety. Work on the modifications will begin during the district's spring break, March 11–15, and is expected to be complete before the start of the 2013–14 school year.

Of the 23 schools in the district receiving the modifications, 22 are elementary schools and one is a middle school. Funds for the projects are provided by the district's fund balance and interest earnings.

For safety reasons, the district is not able to release the names of the schools that will be receiving the entry modifications, said JoyLynn Occhiuzzi, the district's executive director of community relations.

The shootings that took place in December at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., served as a catalyst for the district to implement the modifications and to think about other safety measures for the district.

"Because of what happened in December, one of the things that I want to explore is making sure that each one of our campuses has an S.R.O [school resource officer]," said trustee Terri Romere.

School resource officers serve as a campus police officer, educator and counselor.

In other business:

The board unanimously approved 20 members to be appointed to the School Health Advisory Council, which is responsible for making recommendations to the district regarding student health, including sex education and nutrition. Of the 20 members, 13 are parents, four are community members and three are district employees. Several of the new members work in health-related fields. Superintendent Jess Chvez said there will be one more name submitted for approval to the board at a later date and that he will make the list of members available on the RRISD website.

The district celebrates its centennial anniversary this year.

Composting and single-stream recycling could be part of the district's future recycling program. The single-stream recycling program would allow paper, plastics and aluminum to be put into the same container and transported by the district's waste management contractor to a processing plant in Hutto. The program is still in the development stages. A new composting program will be implemented in February at Pond Springs, Spicewood and Wells Branch elementary schools. Data and costs of the composting program are expected to be reviewed at the end of the school year to determine feasibility for the district.