The new hartford school system is in new hartford, connecticut

This is a small, rural community. Our school district has an approximate population of 6,678 people. We have 3 schools that will be impacted by this project. Our student enrollment is 446 and our buildings are 70 years old. The needs are substantial for the school district safety and security plan. An assessment was completed with the police department in 2023. This was completed with school administration and the police department working together and collaborating for school safety efforts. Our collaborative efforts are part of a partnership that has been in place for decades. Our community stakeholders and elected officials are in support of this grant application. The school district has not been able to add any security equipment or technology since 2013, when a state grant was awarded. When reviewing the GAP analysis survey, we found our gaps significant. The equipment and technology to fill these gaps includes a mass communication system, using the public address system in the buildings, that will integrate with a new mutualink system, the phone system, and panic buttons. The project will install new interior door locks for classrooms and offices. This technology will provide a mass communication and emergency notification system that will integrate with the security system and be able to call for emergency situations from anywhere in the building. The school district administration is doing the best possible with the resources available, but raising taxes or increasing revenues in this area has not been possible. Daily operating and personnel costs have been rising on a month-to-month basis. The age of the buildings and capital expenditures needed to support them drain any available resources from our ability to install new security technology systems and equipment. The expectation today is that schools have emergency communication systems and connections to law enforcement that meet the needs of violent incidents that have occurred in schools around the country. Schools were not designed for this purpose, and the ability to fund these projects with capital funds has been difficult. This school district and community are now working in any way possible to locate and apply for school safety grants and supporting funds. The demands on schools to upgrade security and communication technology are strong, but the funding support is difficult to manage. Our partnerships are strong, but our financial resources are not. The trooper and school team conduct collaborative drills to evaluate, assess, and determine the gaps of the current situation and preferred results. The teams balanced school safety approach is focused on strengthening the school climate and environment. Continuous monitoring of these technologies will include tests, scenarios, and exercises to determine the level of improvement before and after installation. IT is especially important to our leadership to use tax dollars and grant funds exceptionally well, and ensure that implementations are sustained, procedures are followed, and equipment is maintained.