With the recent media hype about low frequency card readers being easily hacked, schools are now being encouraged to upgrade their low-frequency card readers to higher frequency 13.56 MHz (also known as smart card technology) which are far more difficult to hack.
The Hortonville Area School District is testing the UniteGPS System for tracking the location of students on its school buses.
Texas’ Senate education chairman Sen. Larry Taylor unveiled a school safety measure that touches on strengthening school security, hardening school infrastructure and emphasizing mental health resources.
The school safety initiative plan includes a two-story secured front entrance, a new bus driveway, a new door system allowing a school to be secured through an app and equipment in classrooms that teachers can use to barricade their classroom doors.
The door locks are simple to use. A pin at the door’s base slides into a hole in the floor, barricading the door from being opened. When activated, the door lock sends an emergency alert to local law enforcement.
“Mainly with the number of school shootings that have happened, we’re just trying to be extra vigilant," District superintendent David McCurry said. “And in the event that something does happen, we’re prepared.”
The Edmond Public Schools current bond issue includes shatter-resistant window film, new video surveillance equipment and ID badges for secondary school students.
According to district spokesperson Caleb Price, the new classroom door locks are one of the most noticeable changes. The locks let teachers lock their classroom doors with a key from the inside of the room as opposed to the outside, which helps prevent intruders from entering the room.
The iris data is handled entirely by IT staff at Auburn, said Jeff Kohler, a product development director at Princeton Identity, who provides the iris reading technology. Instead of storing the data on the iris readers, it’s encrypted and stored on Auburn’s network “with all of the Auburn security aspects,” Kohler said.
Renovations to the middle school, which houses the sixth through eighth grades, include improved classrooms and flexible working spaces. The renovations also put the entire campus under one roof and added a secure entrance and access controls.