Brent Maze and Randy Garrison

Hartselle Enquirer

The Hartselle Board of Education is taking measures to increase the security at all six school campuses.

The board approved a quote of about $16,000 from North American Video & Sound Incorporated of Madison to install security equipment at Barkley Bridge, Crestline, Hartselle Intermediate, Hartselle Junior High and Hartselle High School.

The equipment will consist of a buzzer entry system at the front doors of each school, which will require school personnel to allow a visitor to enter the school. The doors will be locked preventing entrance without approval.

Security cameras will also be installed to permit personnel to see the person who requests entrance into the schools. F.E. Burleson already has a similar system installed.

School Superintendent Vic Wilson said during a work session Thursday that Hartselle Intermediate School initially had some issues that made a buzzer system more difficult for office personnel to operate. However, those issues have since been resolved.

“We moved the front counter now that it faces the front door now,” Wilson said. “Now that won’t be a problem.”

Board member Monty Vest said she was happy to see the increased security at each of the schools.

“We want to put the parents’ minds at ease as much as possible,” Vest said Thursday.

In other security matters, Wilson said that they would post signs at the entrances to campuses and buildings that state “firearms prohibited,” at the direction of State School Superintendent Tommy Bice.

The letter also encouraged school systems to continue enforcing existing policies regarding a ban on firearms and other weapons from school grounds. Students and employees who violate those policies may be subject to disciplinary action.

For any other individuals who bring firearms on campus, Bice instructed the school officials to notify the individual that they are in violation of school policy and asked to leave the school grounds.

In other business, the board:

• will dispose of old child nutrition program equipment by sealed bid.

• approved new textbooks for music theory and physics;

• approved an out of state field trip for Hartselle High Cross Country to Atlanta, Ga.

• approved the resignation of Cindy Forsythe as Girls Soccer Coach at Hartselle High.

• hired Susan Lewis for a counselor at Crestline and Laura Lamb for a language arts teacher at Hartselle Intermediate.

• approved Darrell Weidman as custodian

• hired Chris Wallace as maintenance supervisor

• changed a bookkeeping position at Crestline from an 11-month to a 12-month position.

• approved Houston Blackwood as seventh grade assistant football coach, Jesse Perrin as ninth grade assistant varsity football coach, Matthew Cole as assistant varsity football coach and Kevin Shivers girls soccer coach at Hartselle High.

• approved Tom Richie as LPN at Hartselle Intermediate.

• approved Nathan Kimbrell, George Stephenson, Daryn Raley, Justin Jones and Rachelle Miller as volunteer coaches.

• was congratulated by Wilson for receiving an AASB President’s Award for their attendance in AASB Academy courses.

• learned that Jeff Hyche, Hartselle High principal had secured a grant from Lowe’s that will enable a bridge to be built between the Hartselle High and F. E. Burleson parking lots which will enable overflow from either school to use the other parking areas. Hannah’s Lawn & Landscape will handle construction.