Putnam Schools Bidding Upgraded Fencing At 5 Schools

Putnam County Schools set to add new fencing on five campuses across the district.

Deputy Schools Director Tim Martin said the hardware will add security to corners of campuses that typically do not have many eyes on them. The project will also add escape hardware for gates. Martin said the State Fire Marshall’s Office requires escape hardware that allows people to exit gates that lock from the outside.

“The fence as Jere Whitson pretty much cuts off access to the back side of the building,”  Martin said. “But again, I have to leave the gates to that fence open during the day unless I have this kind of hardware installed, so we hope to take care of that.”

Martin said Monterey High School, Burks Elementary School, White Plains Academy, and Prescott Elementary School South Campus will receive upgrades. He said the project will cost some $90,000 as part of the district’s Public School Security Grant allocation. Martin said the grant expires on June 30 and he expects the work to be completed in time.

“If I have a fence around a playground, in order to keep that fence locked during the day, I have to have that kind of hardware on that fence as well,” Martin said. “And that’s what we’re going around and adding.”

He said at Burks Elementary School, the fence around the playground runs out before it reaches the school. He said additional fencing and another gate will be added.

Martin said additional straight fencing will be added at White Plains Academy in addition to the new gate hardware. He said while Prescott Elementary School’s campus has parking on both sides, the new fencing will add security to the back where fewer people are normally around to keep an eye out.

Martin said this is the latest project set to be completed with the $400,000 security grant allocation the system received this year.

“All of the stuff that we do is very expensive, so it doesn’t seem to go very far, to be honest,” Martin said.