BHISD spends $206,775 on door alarms

As school districts scramble to improve security for the new year, Barbers Hill ISD Superintendent Greg Poole told school board members Monday that one new element will be in place just in time for the new school year — door alarms that notify nearby staff and other officials if a door has been open for too long, as when it is propped open or fails to latch properly.

Poole said work has already begun preparing the way for the new devices, which will cost $206,775 to wire 380 outside doors across the district.

“We’re on schedule to get every one done,” he said, with installation set to start over the weekend. The devices will sound if a door is not closed within the allotted time, he said, with an alarm loud enough to alert nearby staff. A text message will also be sent to a designated person.

All outside doors were included in the project except for the new intermediate schools, which were already equipped with enhanced security measures, Poole said.

“We all saw the stories of the teacher that supposedly propped the door open in Uvalde. It turned out I don’t think that’s accurate,” he said. “I couldn’t help but feel sympathetic.”

“This is safety, but this is really employee-friendly because we’re trying to take that pressure off of them.”