HELENA – When students return to class at Helena area middle and grade schools this fall they will be greeted by new security features.
The upgrades were paid for by a bond passed by voters in May of 2017.
The new security features include electronic key card access, which is specific to each staff member and employee, and a two-door entry system with security cameras.
The ability to alert police of an emergency directly from the classroom, and electronic reader boards that can post emergency messages throughout the school.
When an alert goes out, dispatch is notified of the exact room the code was sent from.
Kalli Kind, the district’s facility manager, said the upgrades show the district takes school security seriously.
“It’s revolutionary to have something like this. When we talk and look back on how we when we went to school, we were just faced with different challenges when we were kids. The world is changing, and I think that the Helena School District is showing the community that we’re adapting to the changing environment, and and our kids are our most valuable asset. Were going to keep them safe,” Kind said.
The integrated system was created by Kevin Heidi, the IT administrator for Helena Schools.
Kind said the Helena School District has been contacted by schools throughout the U.S. for its new integrated security system.
CR Anderson, Helena Middle School, Four Georgians, Rossiter, and Warren schools received the security upgrades.
Other schools will get similar security upgrades over the next three summers.
