Putnam Schools Boosting Security, Adding Teacher

By LUKE R. MITCHELL

WINFIELD – The Putnam County school system is trying to ramp up its safety measures.

School board officials approved a base bid of $199,395 from Appalachian Signals and Products, Inc. for a contractor to develop “access control systems” in all the county’s schools.

The project is aiming at enforcing the county’s closed-door policy, to ensure that schools are secure when students are present.

Superintendent Chuck Hatfield said the project will include vestibules, cameras and electronic doors, all of which will be installed at all school facilities in Putnam County.

“For the protection of our students, we want to limit the access of our schools’ visitors,” he said. “All visitors will have to be approved and buzzed in before entering school facilities.”

The school board also approved paying $119,550 to Blacktop Industries and Equipment Company for annual repairs on all school parking lots and byways.

In other business, the board signed off on creating a new full- time job at Hurricane High School, someone to lead show choir and chorus.

Hatfield said Kim Edwards will continue to teach music at the high school, but she has resigned from the position of show choir director, a position she held in addition to her full-time teaching position.

Hatfield said county officials have tried unsuccessfully to find a qualified applicant to do the job on a part-time basis.

“At first, we advertised it as a part-time position, but we haven’t been able to find anyone who is qualified that way,” he said.

This was the fifth year in a row that Hurricane High’s show choir has won the state championship.

3

Originally published by FOR THE DAILY MAIL.

(c) 2008 Charleston Daily Mail. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.