KINGSPORT — Have an emergency or other situation requiring quick response in a school? In one local school system by next school year, when that happens the term security badge will take on an expanded meaning.
No, that school system isn’t deputizing employees with badges.
However, if you’re an employee of Kingsport City Schools, next year you will be able to push a button on a wearable device, a badge, to notify authorities of the problem and give them the location.
They sometimes are called panic buttons.
Notifying KCS administrators, and if needed area responders, to a situation that needs immediate attention or all-out emergency soon will be simple and quick, school system officials said. It is similar to a device from the same company that was used in Georgia to notify authorities of a school shooting there recently, Assistant Superintendent of Administration Andy True said.
He also said each KCS employee in all city school facilities, including the Administrative Support Centerm, and the Head Start classes at V.O. Dobbins Community Center are to have one.
“We’re always on the look out on how we can increase our safety protocols,†True said. “It looks like a typical key card.â€
Getting the slightly more than $700,000 security reporting system will have some lead time, but school officials hope to have it in place and working systemwide by August of 2025.
SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES PURCHASE
At Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting, Chief Finance Officer David Frye presented 2024-25 Budget Amendment No. 2, which included using $700,560 from unrestricted fund balance to purchase a Centegix Safety Platform with a CrisisAlert System from Central Technologies Inc.
Frye, Chief Technology Officer Andy Arnold and Chief Student Services Officer Jim Nash recommended the device in a Tuesday, Nov. 12 memo to the school board and Superintendent Chris Hampton. The devices will be used at 14 facilities across KCS.
“These badges provide a discreet, reliable way for staff to request immediate assistance, whether for medical needs, behavior issues or lockdown situations, ensuring that help arrives quickly,†Frye, Arnold and Nash wrote in a Nov. 12 memo to the board. “When an alert is triggered, administrators and responders receive precise location information, allowing for targeted, efficient responses.â€
The board voted 5-0 to approve the purchase. It is through a cooperative purchasing agreement from TIPS-USA, meaning it did not have to be bid out by KCS.
“It’ll be something worn by staff,†True said in a Friday interview. “It provides a level of response for these type of situations.â€
VARIOUS SCENARIOS
He said an armed intruder is the exception rather than the rule for how the devices would be used. For instance, a student having a medical issue or throwing up and other day-to-day issues will be addressed by the new system, although it also is designed to handle all-out emergencies.
“A child gets sick in the cafeteria, and there needs to be a immediate response,†True said. The severity of the incident will determine how many times an employee would punch the button on the device, which he described as looking like the electronic key cards used to access buildings and rooms in the school system.
Funding will be provided from the General Purpose Fund’s unrestricted fund balance. The purchase already has been approved by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, and Frye said it should arrive later in this school year and be ready to use no later than August of 2025.
The 14 buildings to be covered include all high school, middle school and elementary facilities, plus the Palmer Early Education Center and V.O. Dobbins. Maintenance workers will be included, too.
OTHER MATTERS
In other action, the board approved budget Amendment No. 2 for 2024-25.
Aside from the Centegix purchase, which Frye said would drop the unrestricted fund balance from about $10.4 million to about $9.7 million, the amendment also accepted a $4,500 donation from Ballad Health for a “Reset Room†at Robinson Middle School to allow students, staff and faculty to unwind from stress.
The board also accepted a Nicewonger Foundation Project on Track donation of $149,476. The Greeneville-based group’s website describes the program as a “high-dosage/low-ratio tutoring program†that supports 18 East Tennessee school districts and five local agencies.
In addition, the same amendment accepted a $42,500 grant from Melissa’s Foundation via Nathan Morton on behalf of the foundation named for his siter, Melilssa Foshee. It will go toward special education programs including professional development, supplies and equipment for the special ed programs at those two schools.
Also, the amendment approved purchasing a Dobyns-Bennett High School wrestling mat and wall pad from Resilite Sports for $80,203.83, comprised of $53,909.79 for the mat and $26,294.04 for the pad. It will be paid from the D-B renovation project funding.
Board President Melissa Woods and Superintendent Chris Hampton said the mat and pad are made from special materials and will custom fit the wrestling space. Because of lead time to get the item made shipped, Hampton said they likely will be available for next school year’s wrestling season.
