JOHNSONVILLE, SC (WBTW) – Florence School District Five met to discuss school security improvements on Monday.
Superintendent, Randy Smiley, said new security cameras will be installed in all three schools in the district in about three weeks.
“The camera systems that we currently have are very antiquated,” Smiley said. “The new camera systems that we have will enable us, not only to see further, but be able to pan in some instances.”
The Superintendent said the cameras will also have the ability to rotate 360 degrees, zoom, and link to cameras nearby to create a wider picture.
He said the district is using some grant money to pay for the new technology, and that the project will cost nearly $380,000.
“It’s going to be able for us to have eyes where we currently don’t have eyes, and that will be very helpful to us,” the Superintendent said. “I think it will greatly increase security at our schools.”
Smiley said the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, 911 call center, and school administrators will all have full access to the cameras.
The school board also discussed the idea of adding another School Resource Officer (SRO) to the district. The district currently has one SRO.
“If funding permits, we certainly would like to have a second School Resource Officer,” Smiley said. “The sheriff’s department is going to look for additional funding, and we’re hoping together, we can make that happen.”
The Superintendent said if the district were to get another SRO, the officer would start next school year.
Smiley said another SRO would cost $112,000.
“Safety of students is one of our primary concerns,” he said. “Unfortunately in the world that we’re currently living in, we have to make sure who’s in our buildings, or who we want in our buildings, and keep those folks that we don’t want in our buildings out, and this is the safest way that we can do that.”
Smiley said staff at all of the schools in the district will go through active shooter training this summer, and again with students next school year.
