Berkshire Schools and the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office are collaborating to reinforce an important layer of security at the new school north of Geauga County Fairgrounds.
Berkshire Schools and the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office are collaborating to reinforce an important layer of security at the new school north of Geauga County Fairgrounds.
At the district’s request, Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand is seeking a second deputy to act as a school resource officer to back up the current SRO, Sheriff’s Deputy Joe Ray.
If one of his officers isn’t a good fit for the 1,400-student school, Hildenbrand said in an interview Oct. 16 he would recruit from outside the department.
During a tour of the kindergarten-through-grad-12 building, he and Superintendent John Stoddard pointed out many of the security measures already in place as basketball was played in the gym and students changed classes.
The three public entrances have two sets of doors with a foyer, and access to the building requires a secretary to buzz in the individual seeking entry. The exterior glass doors are coated with a bullet-resistant film and locked during school hours.
“You can’t get in without getting past the secretary,” Stoddard said.
The secretary scans identification using the Raptor System to check for felony and sex-offender records. If the result is positive, the office is notified, he said.
“Our SRO and every administrator in the building get notification if there is a hit, so we come and intercept the person,” Stoddard said.
Every administrator and the director of operations get an alert if a door is held open for longer than 20 seconds, he said.
“We check the camera (at that door) to make sure the door is not propped. Usually, it’s being held open because kids are coming in from recess,” he said.
Another security feature the district’s uses is ZeroEyes, artificial intelligence software tied to building cameras that detects firearms.
“The bottom line is this is the newest school in the county. All the safety features were built in from the get-go. It’s probably the safest school in the county,” Hildenbrand said, adding he works constantly with administration to review security measures.
Communication is vital in the sprawling school. The sheriff held out his Motorola radio that can reach as far away as Burton Square, he said.
Ray carries one and personnel in operations, maintenance and administration have access to such radios, Hildenbrand said, adding Berkshire received an additional safety grant for 34 “walkies” to be available to teachers, as well.
Many employees wear lanyards with buttons that allow them to call the office, Stoddard said.
In case of an intruder, steels doors to each of the classroom hallways can be shut and locked automatically at the push of a panic button, he said.
The doors are designed to keep intruders out but will allow those in the hall to exit, Stoddard said, adding there are 16 secure doors in the building that open to the outside. It takes a keycard to get through those doors.
“You can always get out — no one can get in,” the superintendent said.
In case of an incident, Hildenbrand said his deputies have keycards and maps of the building and the Burton Volunteer Fire Department has access to the building, as well.
Deputies patrol the driveway and parking lots when Ray is directing traffic in the mornings and afternoons, Stoddard said.
While everyday traffic is limited to the main driveway, emergency vehicles can get to the school from several directions, he said.
A second SRO will be patrolling the halls when Ray is occupied elsewhere, Stoddard said, adding safety remains a priority and always comes up at the weekly administration meetings which Ray attends.
The SRO is also valuable to the security of the school because students know him and may share concerns or give him useful information, he said.
In addition, Tim Delvecchio, a retired homeland security officer serving the Ohio Schools Council, does an annual 360-degree security assessment.
“He helps us develop and submit a plan to the state every three years,” the superintendent said.
The district’s safety plan is solid and is reviewed periodically with drills held so students know what to do and where to go, he said.
“You’re not going to find another school in the county with this level of security all built in,” Hildenbrand said.
