Grant provides security for South Heart School

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South Heart School officials say things are more up to par since the school has a new security system and locks.

Nearly $3,000 was awarded through Stark County Emergency Management for classroom door locks in February, Riley Mattson, superintendent and elementary principal for South Heart School said.

Last year the school received a $4,000 grant for a front entrance buzzer system. Those entering the building must press a button. They are on camera and a person inside the school must allow access.

Twenty-five classroom door locks were replaced with the most recent grant.

“(The grant) was to make our classrooms much safer so that we can lock our doors from the inside rather than the outside in the case of a lockdown,” Mattson said. “It also makes them more ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible.”

Heart River Elementary and Hagen Junior High in Dickinson also have buzzer systems for security.

The front doors are always open and have cameras for personnel to monitor who is coming and going. All entrances besides the front are locked.

Hagen and Heart River Elementary also have cameras on the back doors where the buzzer systems are.

“When we went through our securities update around two years ago, we had requests from two buildings to install them,” said Vince Reep, Dickinson Public Schools business manager and director of personnel.

Mattson said he’s not worried about a situation where the school would be locked down.

“We hope not,” Mattson said. “Our goal for that to not happen but we want to be prepared if we ever did.”

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