CISD plans $45 million to boost security

Conroe ISD is allocating $35 million in bond funds and an additional $10 million in grant funding to enhance security at all 76 district campuses.

Chris McCord, assistant superintendent for operations for Conroe ISD, presented information about the grant funds that will help the district meet an August deadline to comply with state safety requirements at the Dec. 12 board of trustees meeting.

McCord said all exterior doors with glass and adjacent glass windows must have impact-resistant film and schools must have anti-scaling fences to secure specific areas.

McCord said the district received a $2.8 million school safety and standards grant in February to begin installing secure fencing at 27 elementary schools.

More recently, the district received $10.1 million as part of the school safety and facilities grant. Those funds are part of about $1 billion the state has allocated to enhance school security.

“Our plan is to make sure all outside perimeter glass doors and immediate adjacent glass windows (have) impact-resistant film,” McCord said. “The remaining money that is not allocated for film will be for the six-foot slated fencing.”

Those funds will cover the remaining elementary schools and intermediate schools.

“We are really excited,” McCord said. “We think it will make a difference for our kids.”

Conroe ISD Police Chief Matt Blakelock said his department has tested the film he called “phenomenal.”

“It was virtually impossible,” Blakelock said of officers who tested trying to penetrate the film on the windows. “It took a very long time. That is what we want to do. We want to delay somebody who doesn’t belong.”

During a Nov. 30 district safety and security committee meeting, Superintendent Curtis Null said the recent passage of the district’s $1.9 billion bond earmarked $35 million for safety and security enhancements.

However, Null said the district needed to be careful about spending the money since bond funds cannot be used to hire employees.

“As we make recommendations on how to spend bond funds, we need to make sure we don’t over-commit ourselves on the maintenance and operations side,” Null said.

Easy Foster, director of planning and construction for the district, said the $35 million will be used for several initiatives, including adding more access control to phase out actual keys since the cards can be easily deactivated if needed, additional security cameras and upgrades to communication equipment.

The district is looking at securing corridors in the schools. While that is a challenge for elementary schools that are built around a more open design, he said the district is looking at options.

“We are working on a new plan for our elementary prototype that will allow for each grade level corridor can be secured,” Foster said.

The board and staff will discuss the enhancements at future board meetings.