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Protecting the perimeter of schools is becoming an increasingly complex challenge for facility and security managers. There are more than 100,000 public and private schools in the United States, each having between approximately eight and 20 exterior doors. While these entryways need to be accessible for students, teachers and parents during predetermined times, recent problems with unauthorized visitors and non-custodial parents are just some of the variables that complicate maintaining security and access control.

To successfully formulate a security strategy that will meet a school’s unique needs, this process should be approached from both a theoretical and practical standpoint. Identifying and organizing an educational facility’s requirements into a multi-tiered pyramid program and then applying those findings to real-life application can help facility and security managers streamline the process for enhancing school security. By using the strategies presented in this article, facility and security managers will also gain insights for meeting the evolving needs of their school.

Sorting Out the Security Levels
The process for enhancing a school’s security program requires prioritizing your key security components into a multi-level pyramid. As detailed in the image on this page, this organizational structure will help facility and security managers evaluate current security programs to engineer a solution that matches their unique needs.

Mechanical locking systems, such as keyed locks, exit devices and other mechanical door hardware products, represent the foundation of the school security pyramid. These products restrict free access or egress through an opening, deliver protection from threats such as vandalism and provide a physical barrier to intruders. It is imperative to invest in first-rate mechanical locking systems because, if any of these products  are weak, then higher levels of a security system can be compromised.

The next level of security concentrates on controlling access through the use of programmable, battery-powered locks. These sophisticated stand-alone electronic products provide audit trial capabilities and time-based scheduling for restricted access. Generally, these locks are equipped with mechanical key over-rides with a patented keyway that allow members of a school’s administration or university’s security department to control the key blanks, as well as the key cutting equipment. To minimize security breaches, from key misuse, these keys should be tightly controlled, assigned to as few people as possible and audited regularly.

A school is able to achieve the third level of security when it migrates from stand-alone security products to an integrated access control system. While on-line access control systems have become common on college and university campuses, more school districts are now beginning to move in the same direction. Employing products such as CCTV/DVR and biometric hand readers help schools to enhance its badging capabilities while also simplifying the process by leveraging these innovative technologies.

Finally, the pinnacle of the security pyramid is when a school is able to manage all the previous levels of access control and non-security related areas with software solutions. These fully automated facilities provide security and facility managers and administrators with the ability to oversee time-and-attendance systems, personal scheduling systems, data capture techniques and HVAC systems through a centralized command center. These integrated systems can reduce the need for security staff or monitors, provide audit trails to resolve problems, speed response time if a problem occurs and minimize maintenance.

Putting Theory into Practice
By identifying a facility’s specific security needs, security and facility managers can better grasp theoretical strategies for securing their schools’ perimeter. However, theory can only take us so far, as the practicality of product application truly determines the success of a security network. It is important that products prove their resilience to daily wear and tear well before integrating them into a facility. To ease this process, an innovative institution by the name of The Safe School Institute acts as a resource for school safety testing. This unique facility, located in Florida’s Palm Beach County, encompasses the entire spectrum of what it takes to create a safe, productive learning environment, from physical and psychological safety to establishing an academic climate. Adjacent to the Institute, the Don Estridge High Tech Middle School provides a venue where the concepts developed at the Institute can be tested and put into practice.

Among the many innovative products being tested in the 76 classroom building, Don Estridge High Tech Middle School has upgraded its restricted keyway system to patented keyway products. Serving as a backup to the school’s card access system, the new patented keyway products provide the protection of patent law and eliminate the possibility of an unauthorized user creating duplicate keys at a retail key shop. Under this restricted system, blanks are only available to authorized individuals from the manufacturer and the school will be able to better manage its keys.

Don Estridge’s access control system also includes specialized cylindrical locks that include a proximity card reader. These level two card readers will be installed on every door and allow teachers to access their classrooms without needing a key. This system will also include the ability to monitor each opening to determine if all doors are in a closed and locked position. Should a card be lost, it is simply invalidated and reissued. Substitute teachers, construction workers or other temporary workers can be issued cards that can be invalidated when they leave,  making it unnecessary to have them return their keys and helping to maintain access control. The system already is in place on exterior doors and is being tested on the interior doors.

Biometric hand readers will also be employed by the school to verify the identity of parents, guardians, visitors or contract workers at the school. These level three security products are more accurate than ID cards and will take away all the guess-work of determining a person’s identity. Additionally, a hand-key reader will be installed in every classroom to eliminate the distraction and automate the attendance-taking process, there-by affording teachers with more time to
dedicate to lesson plans.

The school will also strengthen its level three security by leveraging the cylindrical locks’ open architecture platform to seamlessly connect the

 specially designed door locks to a Panel Interface Board (PIB) that captures all monitoring at a remote station. This feature will make it possible to lock all classroom doors from a single location in a crisis. Traditionally, doors are equipped with a lockset that requires teachers to go outside to lock the door in the event of a crisis. With card readers used on all of the classrooms, Don Estridge High Tech Middle School will have this level three security capability of locking its doors and maintaining student safety with one quick procedure. With all of these security products in place, Don Estridge has the capability to achieve level four security by employing software that will link its access control system with other areas of the school including its HVAC system.

Security is a Collaborative Effort
No matter how sophisticated an access control system, it is no better than its weakest link. The higher the level of security required for an area or an entire school, the more important it is to have the strong support of the levels of the pyramid beneath it. All of the electronics in the world will not stop an intruder if the lock on a door does not latch properly.

Better security can start with a security and safety needs assessment by a qualified security consulting firm. This should be the first step in taking a proactive approach, rather than one that is reactive. This type of assessment performed by an outside third party focuses on the school’s door openings, key controls, credentials, links with time-and-attendance and personnel scheduling, and others inherent with the overall access control system. These strategies, coupled with results of real-life application, will help keep our schools safe and children safer.

Beverly Vigue, AHC/CDC, is Vice President, Education Solutions at Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, where she is responsible for developing the vertical education market. Beverly joined Ingersoll Rand in 1999 as Business Development Manager (1999- 2000), then led the company’s Safe Schools Program from 2000-2002. She has been in her current position since 2002. Before coming to Ingersoll Rand, she had over 20 years experience on the distributor side of the door, frame and hardware industry as a Project Manager, General Manager, COO, and finally President/CEO of Swingin’ Door Inc.

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