×

Warren BOE hears building update

Building updates were discussed at Monday’s Warren Local Board of Education meeting.

Superintendent Kyle Newton showed the progress of the new elementary and high school through photos on the school district’s website, which are updated either weekly or bi-weekly.

“Site work that’s going on at the elementary is about 95 percent done,” Newton said. “The construction road is complete. High school stuff is underway. We have the retaining wall completed and other footers are being completed as well.”

The elementary school is set up in a pod structure, with separate pods for the gymnasium, cafeteria, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, art and music, and first through fourth grades.

He noted some interior walls in the elementary school are in the process of being built.

“Kyle, as you’re going through some of the pictures, it might be good to explain some of the safety features of the pods,” said Sid Brackenridge, school board member. “In some kind of event, the pods will seal off.”

Newton said different safety options were being discussed.

“The great thing about the pod design is the elementary school is really broken into different pieces and parts,” he said.

There will be a control door and if people need to use the cafeteria or gym after hours, there are doors from the outside that lead right to those sections.

“Pretty much, the rest of the building will be locked up,” Newton explained. “There will be doors where they will be locked and you can’t get any farther out. In the event of a lockdown or something to that effect where safety is an issue, the doors will also have a button where it can be pushed or triggered from lots of different places and six different locations will lock and you won’t be able to get through those doors.”

He said there will be card readers at those sections for those with badges.

“If there was a lockdown event and the teacher was there on the weekend and there was a basketball going on and the door was locked, there was a badge reader by the door, the teacher could badge in and go back to their classroom,” Newton explained.

He said the badges will be issued to each individual or coach instead of keys to the building.

“We’ll control who has access and who doesn’t have access. If for some reason it’s lost, we can just turn the badge off and it no longer works,” Newton said. “If someone abuses it, we just turn the badge off.”

Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.15/week.

Subscribe Today