Security concerns influence school design

Jan 2, 2007 3:52 PM

A 2005 school security and land price study has prompted school officials in Collier County, Fla., to change the way they build new schools.

Officials sought a new design for schools to keep students in a more enclosed space, according to a report in the Bonita Daily News. Veterans Memorial Elementary School, scheduled to open in the fall, will be the last one-story, open-air school built in Collier County, says Alvah Hardy, executive director of facilities management for the district.

Beginning with an elementary school scheduled to open in August, Collier County schools will become two-story buildings, with one main access point, Hardy tells the newspaper. Three like-schools are scheduled to open in 2008, he adds.

"There are 70 ways to get onto our campus through 70 doors," says John Kasten, current principal of the open-air Oakridge Middle School. "In a self-contained school, there is one main entrance, so we know who's coming onto campus, and we can get a good picture of them on security cameras when they come in."

"The wide-open campus is wonderful, but we have to be very careful today," adds Jan Messer, current principal at Golden Terrace Elementary. "I prefer (a two-story building), because it's easier to secure and monitor."