Washoe County schools boost security presence

RENO -- Washoe County School District officials are increasing campus security measures after an attempted kidnapping incident at a Reno charter school.

New locks, closed-circuit TV and a single point of entry are all part of the district's strategies for increasing security.

The upgrades curtail unwanted visitors and provide more secure classrooms and campuses, district staff and officials said.

They also help prevent graffiti. Cameras at schools help keep track of unauthorized movements.

District Director of Capital Projects and Facilities Management Accountability Elizabeth Wright said security is high priority and safety features are part of school revitalization projects.

"We do these safety features when we go in to revitalize these schools," Wright said. "In this day and age, security is the most important thing to keep students and our staff safe, and we're looking at a lot of ways to do that through the (revitalization)."

Revitalization money come from a 2002 rollover bond that raised $412 million. The district plans to spend more than $33 million on 100 projects this summer.

On May 11, a man unsuccesfully tried to snatch a 15-year-old student from the Coral Academy of Science charter school's 9th Street campus.

The girl screamed and wriggled free, and the man fled through a nearby neighborhood.

The school is not on district-owned property, but the incident got the attention of district officials.

Wright said that the first phase of new locks installation will be in the district schools and that elementary schools with multiple buildings are high priority.

"In the old schools, you couldn't lock the classrooms from the inside; teachers had to go outside and lock the classroom," she said. "In today's world, that's not the best situation."

The district has added fencing, tied fences together and added some gates. Officials want all visitors to enter schools through the front offices, Wright said.

Students and staff now feel safer at Cannan Elementary School, Principal Melissa Thoroughman said.

"Teachers feel a lot better, especially those who are further away from the main building because a stranger can't just walk on our campus," she said.

Closed-circuit television at the middle and high schools was a high priority, Wright said. Galena High School got 32 cameras for hallways, entrances and other key open areas on campus.

"It's provided an extra awareness of safety because students and staff know that there possibly could be a camera watching," Vice Principal Shaun Finnigan said.

"It's reduced our graffiti. If there's a fight, we can see how it started. It's a deterrent."