School districts across Kansas asked for about $13 million in security grants, more than twice the amount that the Legislature authorized this year to keep classrooms safe.
The Kansas Board of Education received requests from 153 school districts seeking a slice of the $5 million in security grants that the Legislature approved this year after the mass school shooting in south Florida in February.
A panel made up of representatives from the attorney general’s office, the adjutant general’s office, the Highway Patrol, the Kansas Fire Marshal, the Department of Health and Environment and the Education Department determined the criteria for awarding the applications.
Among other things, the committee agreed on funding criteria that included:
- Ensuring that the infrastructure of school buildings is safe and secure by creating secure entrances, enhancing the safety of windows or improving a building’s structural integrity.
- Securing all doors in facilities in which students are in attendance.
- Create or improve intrusion detection systems and security camera systems.
- Provide a communication system that allows for the sharing of information between the school district, law enforcement agencies as well as other emergency response teams.
- Provide training for staff and students on how they should react in cases of emergency.
The board on Tuesday will consider recommendations for how to divide up the $5 million that’s available for the grants. The school districts must match the grants dollar for dollar.
For a full list of the recommended grants, check out the list in the board’s meeting materials for Tuesday. The charts begin on page 233.
Some of the larger, urban districts stand to gain the biggest amounts.
For instance, $922,000 in school security grants are recommended for the Wichita School District, $415,000 for Blue Valley, $223,000 for Kansas City, Kan., $168,000 for Lawrence and $155,000 for Olathe.
Other recommendations include $139,000 for Andover, $135,000 for Geary County, $133,000 for De Soto, $132,000 for Derby, $129,000 for Garden City, $127,000 for Dodge City and $108,000 for Salina.
Blue Valley officials said they are seeking grant money to fortify glass near school entrances that require visitors to buzz in to a school while class is in session. The district is now installing a buzz-in system throughout the school system.
The district also is seeking money to install cameras at it two activity centers, the district office, the support services center and upgrade outdated cameras at four schools.
Lawrence, meanwhile, is seeking the grant money for security technology such as video camera replacement and communication system upgrades.
Wichita is seeking money for more exterior security cameras, internal door locks and extra metal detectors to use at high school sporting events.
A spokesman said the district has some older buildings where the doors can’t be locked from inside, forcing teachers to leave the classroom to lock the door.
