As schools across the nation grapple with enhancing security, many are turning to architectural redesigns and safety programs to protect students and staff. In Waverly, the school district is set to implement significant changes aimed at boosting security, which includes relocating administrative offices to the front of the building, a move seen as crucial in modern safety design.
Superintendent Cory Worrell, who has dedicated 30 years to education and plans to retire after this school year, explains, “Thirty, forty years ago, design would have been: let’s put the office in the middle of the building…now the design would be: let’s get offices up to the front of the building so that we have better eyes as to who’s coming in and out of the building.” This shift is part of a broader conversation about safety in schools, influenced by increasing incidents of violence.
According to Jay Martin, the school safety and security director for the Nebraska Department of Education, prevention is a priority. He emphasizes the importance of anonymous reporting, threat-assessment teams, and strong student-staff relationships in thwarting potential violence.
To bolster security infrastructure, Nebraska schools received a $10 million grant from the NDE, with a focus on installing locked doors. “Under the Sandy Hook Commission report back in 2015…the only thing that’s really been proven to stop a major incident like a school shooting is being behind a locked door,” Martin noted. The commission, established after the Sandy Hook tragedy, aimed to enhance safety in schools.
While the grant provides substantial support, it often falls short of covering full costs, prompting schools to seek additional funding through bonds. Martin highlighted, “Let’s say we awarded them, say $10,000, but their project…was $20,000…they would get a bond for that to try to compensate.”
Efforts to secure further federal safety grants are ongoing, as schools express a need for additional resources. Seward Public Schools is one example, where Superintendent Josh Fields reported that teaching now occurs behind locked doors. Following recommendations from Homeland Security, the district plans to relocate offices to the front of buildings, an arrangement already in place at their middle school.
Fields described the setup as a ‘mouse trap,’ where visitors must pass through the office before accessing other areas. Seward successfully passed a $25 million bond in February, supported by the community, which will fund not only office relocations but also a new science wing, storm shelter, and enhanced facilities for career and technical education.
Despite the successful bond passage in Seward, Worrell from Waverly acknowledges the challenges of securing such funding, noting economic concerns like rising gas and grocery prices. He stated, “I think the main parts of our bond issue people agreed on — safety, improving course offerings…But…it was a hard thing to get done.”
