Obion County Schools use "safety" grant funds for student, staff security

During the Sept. 4 meeting of the Obion County Schools Board of Education, Director of Schools Dr. Leah Watkins called upon Assistant Director of Schools, Dale Hollowell, to update board members Fritz Fussell, Keisha Hooper, Tim Britt, Kyle Baggett, Barry Adams and Jared Poore about steps put in place to utilize the system's recently acquired state safety grants, totaling $161,900.

While both South Fulton Middle/High School and Obion County Central High School campuses are equipped with a School Resource Officer, as a result of the added funding now available, all five elementary schools, including South Fulton Elementary, Hillcrest, Black Oak, Lake Road and Ridgemont, will be able to experience an increased law enforcement presence, with the use of off duty officers working during part of the day at each of those schools.

The school system will have use of an anonymous reporting system for students, which may be used to alert administration about threats, bullying and other incidents occurring or suspected, while the reporter of those incidents remains anonymous. Hollowell said the system will be unique, in that privacy will remain in tact for the reporter, while administrator will be able to respond, without knowing the identity of the person making the report.

Upgrades will be made to security camera systems, as well as on exterior door locks, and two-way radios will be provided through the funding, for use throughout each school, as well as between the central office and each school in the system.

At Obion County Central, vehicle barriers and security gates will be installed, and a standardized system will be put in place system wide for identification badges.

Hollowell accounted for a number of safety measures already in place, such as drills performed regularly, logged and reported to the state at year's end; on site visits made by Heath Cunningham to evaluate, make suggestions, perform diagnostic checks; and Cunningham's position as a liaison between the school system and law enforcement.

Dr. Watkins reported she had maintained ongoing communication with outgoing Obion County Sheriff Jerry Vastbinder, and recently elected Sheriff Karl Jackson, and offered appreciation to each one, as well as local law enforcement agencies who had offered their assistance in advancing the level of safety in the school system's campuses.

(Editor's Note: For the complete story of the Sept. 4 meeting of the Obion County School Board, see the Sept. 12 edition of The Current, in print or online.)