Safety and Security in GCISD Bonds
In GCISD, safety of students and staff is a top priority. Since 2011, GCISD has implemented and updated protocols, procedures and operations to help ensure the safety of all. Many of these updates have been implemented thanks to the 2011 and 2016 bonds that were passed by the GCISD community. Below is a list of safety and security upgrades provided by the last two bonds.
The 2011 Bond Program provided the following upgrades to support a safe and secure school environment:
Replaced and upgraded video cameras at campuses that were identified to have reached their life expectancy.
Added video cameras at campuses in identified areas in order to expand views.
Upgraded the video camera management system to allow for remote access to cameras for real-time viewing. While the access provides for real-time video viewing, audio is not heard. Campus administrators and all SROs have access to real-time camera views in their offices. The Director of Emergency Management and School Security also has access to the camera system and views.
Replaced and upgraded the exterior door access management system. This provides the District and campuses with the ability to schedule doors to be locked or unlocked, as well as the ability to allow access to the building through a card reader. This project also included upgrades to door hardware where needed.
Removed the ability to enter certain exterior doors with a traditional key, which narrowed the number of doors that could be used to enter the building through exterior door hardware upgrades.
Added electronic controls to the doors leading to the academic areas at several elementary campuses. This prevents visitors from being able to enter directly into the academic areas without going through the reception area and checking in with staff.
Added a visitor management system at all campuses that scans a government issued ID to check the history of visitors for sexual offenses and to have a list of visitors in the building in the event of an incident. The system also produces identification stickers for visitors so students and staff know they are permitted to be in the building.
Added video intercom systems at entries of schools. These are “request to enter” intercom systems that provide campus staff with the ability to see the visitor and ability to ask why they are visiting prior to letting them enter the building.
Upgraded the infrastructure (antennas) supporting the emergency handheld radios used by campuses for communication.
Added lighting in identified areas at the exterior of some buildings in order to better illuminate common exit points.
Added emergency lighting in restrooms and some gymnasiums that activate when power is lost to the building.
Added security gates for after-hours separation at Heritage Middle School. These are used after-hours to control or prevent access to the school when activities are taking place.
Enclosed the connection between K & N halls at Colleyville Heritage High School so students do not exit the building to enter another hallway.
The 2016 Bond Program provides the following upgrades to support a safe and secure school environment:
Create controlled entry access vestibules for schools that do not have one.
Not planned in the bond but being added during the renovation process at campuses with existing vestibules are kiosks to allow the visitor background check to be performed in the vestibule instead of the campus office. This allows for the visitor's background to be checked before they are able to enter into the campus.
Upgrade the entry door video intercom systems of identified schools due to age. The new system provides a higher definition image of the person requesting to enter the school and is integrated into the District’s network so the door entries can be viewed by the director of emergency management and school security as needed. The director can also remotely speak to the person at the door in the same way that campus staff can.
Add exterior building speakers connected to the campus public announcement system so announcements can reach nearby outdoor areas associated with the campus.
Replace outdated handheld communication radios that campuses use in emergency situations.
Add hardware to classroom doors to make it easier to keep them locked in order to maintain the required fire-rated corridor (required by the fire code to prevent the spread of fire) and make it simpler to lock the door from inside the room.
Replace identified video cameras at campuses that are expected to reach their expected life during the bond cycle.
Replace servers supporting storage of video from cameras and add storage capacity for video archive at higher quality.
Add a bus monitoring GPS system that provides the District with the ability to see the location of buses in real time. This system also provides an app for parents of students that ride daily routes, with a notice when the bus has entered their neighborhood area.
Upgrades to provide a fully integrated security system to prevent attacks on the District’s network system and protect data.
Construction Projects – Determining Priorities
During the 2016 bond planning process, the FIRST committee was concerned with rising costs and how much more the costs would be for more expensive projects if the District were to wait one or more years before initiating these projects. Therefore, larger projects were prioritized first as a point of fiscal responsibility. For example, replacing Cannon Elementary School was first in line along with building the new Multipurpose Activity Centers.
Classroom additions were also deemed a priority due to projected enrollment and increasing construction costs. The District, therefore, moved forward with additions to Grapevine Middle School and Timberline Elementary School that began in the Summer of 2017. As the District was already working on these campuses, the renovations approved in the Bond also were completed, which included a controlled vestibule, upgrading public announcement systems, adding speakers so announcements reach adjacent outdoors areas and upgrading and adding video cameras. These projects were completed in 2018 and renovations were also completed at Heritage Middle School.
Out of concern with continuing cost increases, the District accelerated its schedule and embarked on renovations to a total of eight campuses beginning in June 2019 - while still offering all of the District's summer school and summer enrichment programs. Most construction work cannot be completed when school is in session because of its disruption to the learning environment, so the District schedules as much as possible to be completed during the summer. Renovations were begun and included updating or creating controlled access vestibules at: Dove Elementary, Glenhope Elementary, Grapevine Elementary, O.C. Taylor Elementary, Silver Lake Elementary, Colleyville Middle School, and Cross Timbers Middle School. The vestibule at Grapevine High School is scheduled to be completed in February 2020. Other safety items were also included in the renovations such as: more access control, upgrading public announcement systems, replacing outdated video cameras and adding a sprinkler system at GHS. Six of the eight campuses received a vestibule while the other two saw upgrades.
Remaining campuses are slated to begin June 2020. The facilities to be addressed during the Summer of 2020 include Bear Creek Elementary, Bransford Elementary, Colleyville Elementary, Heritage Elementary, Colleyville Heritage High School and Swim Center.
*19 out of 20 campuses will have a secured vestibule by February 2020. Colleyville Heritage High School will receive a vestibule during the Summer of 2020. The work in Summer of 2020 will be at Bear Creek, Bransford, Colleyville and Heritage Elementary Schools will be to upgrade existing vestibules.