Board approves security upgrades, tornado safe room change order
T-R PHOTOS BY LANA BRADSTREAM — FEH Project Manager Gary Schulte gives a tornado safe room update to the Marshalltown Community School District Board of Education.
Marshalltown Community School District board members Elizabeth Wise and Sara Faltys listen to information about the tornado safe room project. The board held a regular meeting on Monday night.
T-R PHOTOS BY LANA BRADSTREAM — FEH Project Manager Gary Schulte gives a tornado safe room update to the Marshalltown Community School District Board of Education.
Marshalltown Community School District board members Elizabeth Wise and Sara Faltys listen to information about the tornado safe room project. The board held a regular meeting on Monday night.
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The Marshalltown Community District School Board received updates on some facility projects during its regular meeting on Monday evening.
Director of Technology Amy Harmsen recommended the district move forward with some surveillance systems via Convergint. She brought the company to the board a couple years ago to acquire service cameras. Convergint is a member of a consortium called Tips, which Harmsen said provides services for cameras already installed in the district.
"The last thing we want is to get several different platforms of cameras," she said. "We want them all on one system so we can use one single pane of glass."
The district applied for the Iowa School Safety Grant, which provides up to $50,000 for each school building to address security concerns. Harmsen said she worked with Director of Business and Operations Randy Denham and Security Coordinator Eric Weeden to pinpoint the needs.
"The assessment the state of Iowa had us do first helped prioritize the safety and security measures we should be taking in each building," she said. "Then it was up to us. If there wasn't enough money to do everything, what are the things we have to do?"
Some of the items included adding door access control and cameras. The door access control would help prevent school officials from handing out keys to all staff members. She said a badge will work to get those staff through the front door, and perhaps a few more in the building.
"An example is on the other side of Lenihan, there is a north side entrance, but then also there's a south side entrance," Harmsen said. "The north side has the full intercom system. We went ahead and thought the south side needs it too, because people enter there, as well."
She said they took the time to walk through the buildings and see what needs to be done, and gauge how people enter and exit those buildings.
"That allows us to walk down the building, digitally when we need to," Harmsen said.
She said they identified quite a few blind spots for which cameras would be helpful.
"We really collaborated with principals to figure out those locations, as well," Harmsen said.
Board member Zach Wahl asked what the life span of the cameras are. Harmsen told him they are typically five years, but a 10-year license could be purchased. She also said there will be unlimited storage to save video clips.
"If you realize within 30 days that you need to save a clip, you can store it as long as you want to," Harmsen said.
Denham told the board the district allocated $500,000 for safety and security.
Shortly after Harmsen presented the safety and security updates, FEH Project manager Gary Schulte told the board about a change order for the tornado safe room, which was approved. The change includes work for over-excavation required for the building pad and foundation.
"We have looked at four different options in this process," he said. "Two of them got thrown out because of the weather at the time, and we went with what we felt was the most economical option."
Superintendent Theron Schutte said they now have a clean bill of health for the project.
The room will be built at the Marshalltown High School sports stadium. In July, the district received a $3.4 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the room construction. Larson Construction of Independence was awarded the bid at $3.6 million.
"I'm sure everyone has seen there is a lot of good work going on by the field -- a lot of dirt," Schulte said.
He said the building of the exterior walls and the roof should begin Feb. 28. Schulte is confident with the project progress, the project will be completed before practice begins.
Board member Leah Stanley was absent.
In other business:
Marshalltown High School Principal Jacque Wyant showed the board members how students are exploring potential careers. Wyant showed images from the certified nurses aide apprenticeships, clips of Chamber orchestra and mariachi band practice and video of historical social media instruction. Wyant said the Career Paths program is important at MHS. This year so far, 273 students have earned credits in 534 courses.
During the Therapeutic Classrooms presentation, Special Services Director Matt Cretsinger told board members Iowa has the fourth highest increase in the nation for mental health issues. Eighty-six students -- with 12 not being in Marshalltown -- have been served, and the district has the sole responsibility for the program since the 2022-23 school year. Since starting the program, the need to use physical restraints on students has reduced by more than 90 percent, 78 percent of students have achieved academic progress and 95 percent of parents want their children to remain in the program. Cretsinger said they are one of the models in the state of Iowa for the program.
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Contact Lana Bradstream
at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or
lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.