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Amarillo ISD Board Improves School Safety and Security


Posted Date: 08/03/2022

Amarillo ISD Board Improves School Safety and Security

Several Upgrades Coming to Campuses Across the District in Effort to Strengthen Security

July 25, 2022 – At their July 18 meeting, the Amarillo ISD Board of Trustees approved several measures to strengthen safety and security in our schools.

These measures are in line with the Board’s continued priority of student and staff safety and include the purchase of solid core doors and classroom function door locks for all classrooms. The District will spend over $810,000 to replace some 2,600 classroom doors that currently have windows with solid core doors. Classroom function door locks will lock automatically every time a door is closed and will require a key or an electronic fob to open. About 2,600 doors across the District will be retrofitted with these locks, at an estimated cost of $420,000.

An added security measure at elementary schools involves installing air-conditioning in all elementary gymnasiums so that gym doors will no longer need to be propped open for ventilation purposes. Amarillo ISD will purchase the equipment and in-house maintenance staff will do the work.  The installations should all be completed within one year, at a total cost of about $600,000.

Last year the District completed a project to install perimeter security fencing around the four high school campuses.  On July 18, the Board approved an architect firm to design and estimate costs for a project to install perimeter fencing around all 12 middle school campuses and all 37 elementary school campuses, which will be a multi-million dollar project.

“These additional security measures may seem expensive, but they are vital to an environment in which our students, parents, and school staff feel safe,” said Superintendent Doug Loomis. “In June, our Board committed a large portion of the District’s reserve funds to pay for these and other added security measures. Now, more than ever, safety is our top priority.”