The Swallow School District was awarded $20,000 to improve classroom door safety on June 28, 2018 through the Wisconsin Department of Justice School Safety Grant program, administered by DOJ’s Office of School Safety. This award represents the maximum amount the district could receive based on grant parameters and improvements and training the district had already embarked upon over the prior six years. The project is expected to be completed by late fall 2018.
“I appreciate the DOJ’s support of critical next steps districts have collaboratively identified with experts to increase the safety of schools,” said Superintendent Melissa Thompson. “Our district’s grant application is the result of four years of consistent collaboration with our staff, local law enforcement, federal agencies, and our insurance company to continuously improve our building and grounds for the safety of our students, staff, and community members.”
Since 2012 the school district has developed an extensive Emergency Operations and Crisis Response Plan in collaboration with experts from state and local agencies and completed more $250,000 worth of capital improvements for life-safety systems using district funds including: transitioning to a controlled access door fob system, installing security cameras in and around the building, replacing the district's then-20 year old phone system, upgrading the outdated and failing Fire Alarm system to a monitored Mass Notification System, and building a secure front entry with bullet resistant glass and film on exterior windows.
For more information on the district’s Long-Range Master Plan, please visit:
http://www.swallowschool.org/board_of_education/strategic_plan/master_facility_planning.
For more information on DOJ’s Office of School Safety, please visit:
https://www.doj.state.wi.us/office-school-safety/office-school-safety