News

Bottineau’s school upgrades security

By Scott Wagar

09/02/2014

Starting in September, the Bottineau’s Kindergarten through 12th grade school will being going keyless to enter into the city’s schools.

“The district has installed a key phob system to enter the building. This was installed over the summer and was expected to be utilized to begin the school year. However, there was a problem with an outdoor camera at one of the buzz-in doors,” said Jason Kersten, superintendent of the Bottineau School District.

“This system will allow the district to have all the doors locked during the school day. To enter the building, it will require a key phob to enter the building. The outside door keys will no longer work to enter the building.”  

A key phob is a small rectangle box, similar to a remote for a vehicle alarm and keyless entry device or start-up system for vehicles in the wintertime. The phob is pointed at a box which unlocks the school door.  

Kersten stated that he believes the phob key system will provide better security for the district.

“I believe this will play an integral part in providing safety to our students and staff,” Kersten said.

VISITORS

When visitors come to visit the school during school hours they will have to buzz-in, be identified by an outside camera and then be let into the school. Once inside the building, individuals will have to go to the schools’ offices and sign-in before conducting their business in the schools.

Visitors will have three doors to enter into the buildings, which will include doors 13 and 14, which are located on the south side of the school, and door four which is located on the north side of the building.

SCHOOL BUSES

Outside of the school buildings, all school buses in the district will also install cameras inside its school buses for security reasons and any incident that might happen which would need to be investigated.

 “The majority of the funding for these cameras is coming from a grant through the state,” Kersten said. “We were approved in late July and are in the process of securing a date and time to install them. The goal would be to have these cameras installed by mid September.”

NOTIFICATIONS

Once the security systems are set-up, and the cameras are installed in the buses, Kersten will notify parents, students and staff through instant alert.