Surveillance cameras added, new locks installed on classroom doors

BY KYLE TROUTMAN ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com

The Cassville school district has updated its Safety Preparedness Plan for the 2023-2024 school year, citing upgrades to surveillance and facility safety.

Across the district’s property, Cassville has more than 100 cameras online, with additional cameras having been installed over the summer.

Inside the buildings, new locking mechanisms have been installed to increase classroom safety.

Cassville has an armed school resource officer present, covering both the north and south campuses. Additionally, more staff members have been trained to carry a firearm on campus. Information on the exact number of staff trained and their locations within the campus is being withheld due to safety concerns.

Administration and office personnel have also been provided with communication services to ensure their ability to communicate in a large scale emergency.

At the high school campus, the remodel of the entryway has been completed. Those who enter the building now come into a larger vestibule, with the office housed on the north side of the entry. A service window provides access to staff without individuals needing to enter the hallways.

Fencing at the primary playground has been updated after the installation of new playground equipment.

With those accomplishments made, the district has also emphasized its remaining concerns.

Some of those include the ability to share security camera video with law enforcement during a crisis, certain lock features on specific doors on the campus, reunification procedures and coordination with first responders, and site-specific training with staff and law enforcement to address challenges posed by the district’s building layout.

The Safety Preparedness Plan aligns with goal 2.3 on the district’s Continuous School Improvement Plan, which charges the district with annually developing plans to increase the emphasis in the district’s emergency preparedness in regard to prevention, action and recovery.

More on those goals may be found at: https://tinyurl.com/3cjj8pxa.