Roane County schools start year with secure entrances
Secure entrances for Walton Elementary Middle School (top and bottom left) and Geary Elementary Middle School (top and bottom right). The secure waiting areas can be seen in the top photos and the outside entrance with tinted, penetration resistant glass in the bottom photos. (Photo Provided)
SPENCER — With the recent completion of the secure entrance at Spencer Middle School, Roane County Schools began the new school year with secure entrances for all schools. Spencer Elementary, Walton Elementary/Middle, Roane County High School, Geary Elementary/Middle, and now Spencer Middle School all have secured entryways that include electronic door access control, penetration resistant doors, windows, and walls that prevent access to the school at large, and instead keep visitors in a waiting area until they are permitted access to the other areas of the school. “The safety and security of our students and staff has been a priority for Roane County as we made improvements to our facilities over the past four years, and opening this fall with 100 percent of schools protected by a secured entryway brings that priority to reality,” Roane County Superintendent Richard Duncan said in a press release. In 2018 Roane County voters authorized a school bond levy that would focus on the health and safety of the schools in the county and was themed “Securing Our Future.” Construction on these entrances began in 2020 at Spencer Elementary and Roane County High School, and was completed Tuesday at Spencer Middle School. All of the funds came from that 2018 school bond levy. Students and staff can still enter and depart through their traditional entrances each morning and afternoon, but all visitors must now enter through a secured entryway during the school day. This will prevent access to the school at large and instead keep visitors in a waiting area until they are permitted access to the school. In addition to the secure entrances there were also upgrades to parking and exterior lighting, roof replacements and repairs, HVAC improvements, and the study phase of a new Spencer Middle School. The 2018 bond call also prioritized new entrances and offices at the five school locations in the county. “We put a lot of effort into making the inside of our classrooms look nice,” Duncan said. “We want to make the outside look nice, too.” Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.comLocal News
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