SECURED ENTRANCES

Soon every Williamson County elementary and middle school will have secure entrances.  The purpose of the secured entrance project is to provide a means to safeguard the buildings following the start of each school day.  The project involves various equipment and material installations at 21 Williamson County elementary and middle schools. 

According to Construction Facility Director Kevin Fortney, the goal of this project is to arrange the entrance where all visitors go to the front office, sign in and obtain a visitor’s badge before entering other parts of the building.  To accomplish this, Williamson County Schools is implementing the following changes: 

• Cutting new entrance doors through the exterior masonry to provide direct entrance into the administrative office where possible.
   
• In some schools, the administrative offices are located within the interior core of the building where a person enters into a lobby area that has direct corridor access.  In cases such as this, Williamson County Schools is installing new sets of doors to terminate the direct access to the corridors.  Computer managed locking devices will be used on these doors where only authorized staff members can enter.  All others are directed into the administrative offices.  Once the individual signs in   and is issued a badge, he will be given access to the corridors.
   
• Installing electronic strikes on exterior doors.  This permits office staff to electronically release an entrance door once a person is identified and access to the building is permitted.