By Bret Rachlin on 11/24/2008 2:11 PM

The school community of Aurora, Ohio, clearly understands that it takes a team approach to keep their schools safe (Source: Aurora Advocate, 11/19/2008, Administrators and police team up on school security). According to the article a community forum was to be held on November 20th to address school security issues. District officials partnered with local police officers to host the forum for parents and other residents, so they could address the state of security across the schools in the district.

New district security initiatives include adding video surveillance to school buildings under construction, an enhanced visitor management system that requires visitors to request entrance to buildings via an intercom and to register at the office, and an increased presence of local police. The district also bought a radio system that will allow officials to communicate distr ... Read More »

By Bret Rachlin on 11/17/2008 4:41 PM

I seem to have lots of questions today regarding school budget challenges, so please indulge me.

How does the nation’s struggling economy affect your school budgets (Source: USA Today, 11/11/2008, School districts caught in a squeeze)?

The American Association of School Administrators conducted a survey, which reported that “nearly half of superintendents are reducing hiring and cutting back on supplies. Twenty percent already have laid off staff, and another 31% have considered it.”

How do these budget reductions impact school security? For example, are you leveraging your security technology more effectively to compensate for a lack of school resource officers?

Are you exploring alternative funding options, such as working with local businesses to sponsor (fund) security ... Read More »

By Bret Rachlin on 11/10/2008 1:48 PM

Recently, Wren's CEO, Andy Wren, participated in the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce's Principal for a Day program. Here's Andy's account of his experience as a principal.

I wanted to share a few thoughts on my experience with the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce’s Principal for a Day. First, I had a lot of emotions come rushing back as I entered the building, but I calmed down when they told me that there were no pop quizzes for me. I was fortunate enough to spend the day at Morningside Elementary with Principal Becky Pruitt. Morningside has approximately 970 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade, coupled with more than 100 teachers and staff; it is a very large operation. The main campus is an 80 year old treasure in the heart of the Morningside neighborhood that has been polished to show its character, while the kindergarten is housed a mile or so away in another historic building and an additional building under construction.

My biggest takea ... Read More »

By Bret Rachlin on 11/6/2008 5:05 PM

The following presentation explains the cost of not having an adequate video surveillance solution in place for your school. Has an inadequate solution caused problems for your school?

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By Bret Rachlin on 10/31/2008 12:27 PM

Does your school district allow students without proof of vaccination to attend school two months after school starts? Some schools in Georgia do (Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/26/2008, Vaccination Law Fails to Touch All Kids).

The following paragraph from the AJC article says it all:

At College Park Elementary, only 29 percent of its 57 kindergartners were in compliance last fall, records show. Although the law says such children should be barred from the classroom, they aren’t, said principal Gretchen Thornton.  “I can’t do that. Our business is to educate children,” she said. “The bottom line is, it isn’t the child’s fault if they don’t have the document.”

Additionally, the head of Atlanta ... Read More »

By Bret Rachlin on 10/24/2008 4:27 PM

Video surveillance is one component of a comprehensive school security program. It is only one component, but it is a necessary one. Since installing video surveillance in a Medford, Massachusetts, elementary school and a middle school in 2001 (Source: Boston Globe, 10/19/2008, ‘Big Brother’ concerns over school cameras), John Buckley, the district’s director of management and operations, said “vandalism dropped dramatically.” In fact, video captured images of several vandals and ultimately police filed criminal charges against them.

As a component of a security program, a video surveillance implementation does not mean that the school is conducting Big Brother monitoring. While the article quotes a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Massachusetts saying that video turns the school more int ... Read More »

By Bret Rachlin on 10/17/2008 10:59 AM

Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) labs do research on deadly germs and toxins, so there is an expectation that these facilities protect themselves, as well as their nearby communities, with a high level of security (Source: Associated Press, 10/16/2008, High-security research labs not so high security). Unfortunately, a BSL-4 lab at Georgia State University in Atlanta does not meet adequate security standards according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

The report explained that the “lab lacked complete security barriers and any integrated security system, including any live monitoring by security cameras. Investigators said they watched an unidentified pedestrian enter the building through an unguarded loading dock.”

While the Georgia State lab has stated that it is taking steps to “enhance the lab’s sa ... Read More »

By Bret Rachlin on 10/10/2008 11:04 AM

When you think of safe learning environments you should think of Jasper Independent School District (Source: The Jasper Newsboy, 10/8/2008, JISD sets new safety policies) in Jasper, Texas. Located approximately 135 miles northeast of Houston in east Texas, Jasper ISD has its school safety act together.

According to Interim Superintendent Dr. Jimmy Creel, “I take the position that the most important thing we can do is create a quality environment for each child. And the first thing you do is to provide a safe and secure environment.” Additionally, he said, “Schools have limited resources. That means you have to be creative to find resources or efficiently utilize existing resources in order to provide a more secure school environment.”

His last statement about being creative is exemplified by the Jasper Junior High assistant princi ... Read More »

By Bret Rachlin on 10/8/2008 8:37 AM

In our continuing effort to keep you informed about school security, here is a success story about a school in Water Valley, Texas.

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By Bret Rachlin on 10/1/2008 10:47 AM

With schools facing numerous challenges, including how to improve education and provide safe learning environments, funding these efforts is a consistent barrier. Released this week, The Wren School Security Survey: Access Control, provides interesting insight about how schools leverage technology to control access to their schools, as well as deal with the budget constraints that force schools to choose their security options carefully, doing as much as available funding allows.

How are you handling access control in your school districts?