Memphis faculty district poised to spend $6.3 million on safety upgrades

Memphis-Shelby County Faculties would spend as much as $6.3 million to bolster safety within the district’s colleges underneath a pair of contracts awaiting board approval.

The contracts with Memphis-based Oteka Applied sciences LLC name for spending about $807,000 on safety know-how — together with cameras, intercoms, servers, software program licenses, and intrusion alarm methods — and $5.5 million for upgraded wiring to help all of it, in accordance with board paperwork. 

The board’s Audit, Price range, and Finance Committee accepted the contracts Thursday. 

“Using this know-how within the classroom helps an extra layer of security” and can assist shield college students and employees, the district mentioned within the paperwork, citing an increase in mass shootings and active-shooter incidents.

“Changing discontinued intrusion alarm methods all through the district and upgrading cameras will enhance the constructing entry methods to make sure doorways are locked and secured always,” the doc mentioned.

The proposed safety upgrades come as Gov. Invoice Lee pushes a college security invoice that might threaten faculty districts with penalties if their colleges are discovered to have entrances which can be left unlocked.

Individually, the finance committee accepted a $349,165 contract to a different Memphis-based firm, Barnes & Brower Inc., to restore the ceiling for the library at Cummings Okay-8 Elective Faculty.

The library’s 40-year-old drop ceiling collapsed in August 2022, injuring three staffers. The college’s 300 college students have been relocated to close by LaRose Elementary Faculty.

The incident drew consideration to MSCS’s growing old faculty buildings. Over 33 of them are at the very least 70 years outdated.

Bureau Chief Tonyaa Weathersbee oversees Chalkbeat Tennessee’s schooling protection. Contact her at tweathersbee@chalkbeat.org.