KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Board of Education addressed two issues regarding school safety in their meeting Thursday.
First, the board agreed to a contract with Carpenter Reclamation, Inc., to the tune of $257,000 for a slip repair at Sissonville High School. The slip repair is by the football field, between the press box and concession stand.
Kanawha County Facilities Planning Executive Director Andrew Crawford told board members that the slip repair on the hill has had a lot of drainage issues.
“We’re putting in the drainage to make sure this will not happen again,” Crawford said. “This addresses all of that drainage to carry it out to where it will drain and water will not sit on the hillside.”
The school is also dealing with a sink hole that has gotten progressively worse. The sink hole is located behind the visitor’s side bleachers, parallel with Route 21.
Kanawha County Schools Superintendent Dr. Tom Williams said he hopes the sink is addressed soon.
“It just keeps getting bigger and we have to have it fixed,” he said.
Also at Thursday’s board meeting, the board gave approval to the purchase of door barricades for every Kanawha County School. The purchase was made through Taylor Brothers Door Lock, LLC in the amount of $226,153.48. A total of 1,897 lockdown door barricades will be installed throughout every Kanawha County classroom and library.
Dr. Williams said the barricades will be installed into the floor at every door. He said the barricades are an added element of security to keep students and staff safe in the event of an emergency.
“It would be very difficult to get through the door with this in place if someone’s on the other side of the door with a gun,” said Williams.
The county had been looking into such technology for quite some time. Keith Vititoe, Executive Director of Safety and Security for Kanawha County Schools, said they had to wait for certain codes and regulations to change before implementing the barricades.