Security projects are shaping up as the Northwest School District begins to dip into revenue from the $28 million bond issue voters approved in April.
Work has been underway this summer to install security cameras around the district’s elementary schools and to replace fire alarm panels across the district, Superintendent Jennifer Hecktor said.
She said work is still being done to install interior and exterior cameras at Northwest High School, and some interior cameras at elementary schools.
“They’re crystal-clear cameras,” she said. “The picture is really good. Those cameras can get very blurry, and over time. we see how fast technology changes. It’s a good use of our money so far.”
Funding for the projects comes from Proposition S, which stands for Safety and Security for Our Students.
In addition to the security cameras, funds from the bond issue will be used for districtwide technology upgrades, playground equipment upgrades, and construction projects at Valley Middle School, House Springs Elementary School and Northwest High School.
According to design outlines provided by the district, overall cost estimates for those projects range from $25,472,000 to $26,808,000. The district also is allotting $1,670,000 for the Paragon Architecture firm’s fee.
“We got a timeline, and it looks like the first groundbreaking will happen in the spring because we are in the design phase right now,” Hecktor said at an Aug. 18 Board of Education meeting.
“Unfortunately, winter is then going to hit and the ground will be frozen, so we will see some groundbreaking starting in the spring.”
Hecktor said the next step for the district is to complete the multipurpose addition to Northwest High School, which includes a weight room, practice space, furniture, fixtures and equipment. The district expects to spend a total of $6,584,000 on the multipurpose room addition, according to the district’s website.
Hecktor said the district already completed some interior design work for the multipurpose room. “We’re really excited about how that is going to turn out,” she said. “Then we are doing our secure entrances because our top priority is our safe and secure entrances.”
She said those renovations to the entries at the Brennan Woods Elementary, Cedar Springs Elementary, High Ridge Elementary and Woodridge Middle schools also are slated to start soon. Those improvements will cost an estimated $2,433,000, according to the district’s website.
“The last two weeks, we’ve been walking sites with the construction manager; our architect, Paragon; and our principals,” Hecktor said. “Those have been really great conversations where we’ve gotten pretty deep into the campuses and really looked at different ways of doing things than maybe we had in the original design.
“The nice thing about having our construction manager with the architect is they kind of push up against each other and they serve as kind of an accountability partner for each other.”
Hecktor said the district plans on having a page on the district’s website dedicated to project updates. In addition, residents will have access to drone and video footage of construction projects.