Security of High Concern at New Schools Meeting

Meetings were on the planned closing of the current nine Bristol Township elementary schools and construction of what Superintendent Dr. Samuel Lee called three new, “high-functioning” buildings was held Tuesday evening.

Many residents asked questions about security and designers and district officials were happy to answer their questions.

Architect Sean Goodrick explained the security features for the three buildings, which will be nearly identical in design, to the gathered public at James Buchanan Elementary School and Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School, both in Levittown.

Here are some of the security features officials outlined:

Aside from having monitored security cameras covering all exterior entrances and sections of the buildings, all doors to the schools would be sealed following the start of classes. Before classes, adults will stand at all entrances and make sure only students get in.

A large window will allow front office staff to see who is entering the school.

The schools’ front doors will consists of a video and audio buzz-in system. If a parent is buzzed in, they will get access to the front office and then  let through a locked door into the student hallways.

Building staff will be given access to the school using either a swipe key of smart phone application.

Questions about building materials and whether union labor would be used were asked of district officials.

School board member Katherine Bachman said they “considered everything” in regards to building materials and said the board fully supports union labor.

Lee and Goodrick announced the schools are expected to be heated and cooled using geothermal systems, which are estimated to pay for themselves is less than 10 years.

Tim Duffy, the project solicitor, told the gathered residents the plans for the proposed new school to be built at the James Buchanan, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Mary Devine elementary school sites will come before the Bristol Township Zoning Board in early July. Following that the plans will go before county officials and the township council, he said.

The three new schools are each designed to house 1,300 students and would be divided into two sections. Kindergarten through second grade in part of the building and third through fifth grade in the other section of the facility. District officials said previously that the parking and student pick-up situation that plagues many schools is expected to improve with the new schools.

Click here to see renderings of what the new schools would look like

The estimated $152.6 million facilities overhaul would close Franklin D. Roosevelt Middle School; Neil A. Armstrong Middle School and the former Benjamin Franklin School, currently home to the district administrative staff, would be renovated for students. Harry S. Truman High School would not see any major work done. Clara Barton Elementary School would be re-purposed into the administration and maintenance building.

The new schools would be constructed on the land next to the standing schools and students would not be displaced, construction manager Bill Reynolds said. Lee said recently that the Devine site in Croydon is running into some issues and students might be displaced to other buildings during construction.

Lee told residents he had “every confidence” the building project will be competed on time and on budget.

A resident at Buchanan called for the district to put the building vote up for referendum. Lee reiterated that the district has no plan to put the project on the ballot.

“Time is of the essence,” Lee told residents. “Not building these schools will be more costly to the community and school district.”

The final meeting will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. inside the Mary Devine Elementary School all-purpose room.

Below are PDF files of the presentations made at the two meetings.

James Buchanan Elementary School:

Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School:

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