The District #18 Board of Education took action on a number of items of public interest when they met Wednesday night.
Perhaps the biggest vote taken was one to provide better safety and security for students. The board approved a fencing estimate of just under $9,000 to enclose the area around the high school, elementary and lower elementary buildings. The amount includes gates and mechanical locks. On a separate motion, the board approved spending just over $5,600 to purchase gym building locks and a new ag room door as part of another safety/security action. Later, the board approved high school building main door locks with keypad and audio/video equipment at a cost of $3,210. Also, on a separate motion, the board approved classroom security measures.
Superintendent Dan Polk explained the board’s decision to The Elgin Review.
“Elgin Public Schools has a unique issue when it comes to the campus and safety. Most small schools are in a self-contained building or maybe two at the most. So automated locking doors and some basic safety things are quite easy to do. In EPS’s situation four buildings on two separate blocks, WITH students maybe attending three of, if not four of the buildings on a daily basis for class is a real issue. As the concern for student safety grows in the country we have continually brainstormed for ideas to try and make the EPS campus safer and at the same time not disrupt learning, utilization of buildings, environment of the school and the freedoms we enjoy as small town rural Nebraskans.
For the complete story, see the May 16 edition of The Elgin Review.
