BRYAN, Texas — At Anson Jones Elementary School in Bryan, people will find students hard at work. At the front office people will find teachers and administrators making it their mission to keep these students safe.
"Security and safety of our students is priority," said Linda Montoya, principal of Anson Jones.
Thanks to the passing of the May 2019 bond election, Bryan ISD received funding to beef up safety and security in schools around the district.
"A Regent Six security audit that we had done recommended these projects as well as the recommendations from Governor Abbott for school safety," said Pail Buckner, the energy and construction manager for the school district.
At the front office doors of school there are access control and card readers- one of the only entry ways to get into the hallways.Anson Jones Elementary School and other Bryan ISD schools will be getting about 150 card readers to help limit the access of where people can enter throughout the building.
"It gives us the opportunity to keep all of our exterior and interior doors locked," Montoya said.
With the upgrade, campuses will have the ability to lock the doors from a desktop computer.
The card readers could also help save the district money by not having to re-keying campuses if a key were to get lost.
The district will also be installing 141 security cameras around school campuses.
"Its a great security feature for our campus," Montoya said. "I think it deters crime."
The security cameras will cover entries, playgrounds and campus corridors. Installation for the security cameras are expected to be done by March. Once the installations are finished, Bryan ISD will have a total of 942 cameras across all properties.
Several schools in the district will also be getting perimeter fencing around its campuses.
"Where you might have people try to walk through the playground during the school day and that will no longer occur because we have our fences out there," Montoya said.
It is not only to keep visitors out, but keep students in.
"With students playing in PE, in gym, soccer balls, baseballs, it keeps them in so they're not tempted to run or across the street or something," Buckner said.
Teachers hopes the security upgrades give parents are better peace of mind when send their kids to school.