Small schools have increased security

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KEEPING AN EYE —Baraga school building has 48 security cameras in strategic locations. Principal Tim Marczak can monitor 32 of them with 16 images on each of two screens. The elementary school office has a screen that monitors 16 more views. The operator can zoom in on any image for a closer look.

by Nancy Besonen
Sacred Heart School (SHS) in L’Anse and Arvon Township School in Skanee work hard at keeping their students both safe and secure. Recent upgrades, training, drills and diligence are helping to arm both schools against the unthinkable. Principals Christy Miron from SHS and Lori Johnson from Arvon Township School spoke of the often intersecting paths their schools have taken toward greater security. Arvon Township School “Our entry doors are locked, and we have video cameras on the property,” said Johnson, who also teaches grades 3-6 at Arvon Township School. “We have a motion sensor so we know when someone has entered the driveway, and an audible alarm when someone is on the stairway.” Video cameras were installed by the front and back doors this past summer, Johnson said. The new technology features audible alarms that sound in the classrooms, similar to a doorbell, where a quick look at an i-pad or laptop by school staff provides a visual. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.