July 23, 2025 11:40a
(WGTD)---The Kenosha School Board Tuesday night approved a set of no-cost and low-cost school security improvements.
The package of measures was put forth by a committee that was formed following the incident at Roosevelt Elementary last year in which a middle school student tried to gain entry to the building while carrying a duffel bag. He was eventually arrested.
Measures that were approved include an edict for classroom doors to be locked and closed at all times. The board also ordered an inspection of all classrooms with an eye toward analyzing each room’s ‘safe’ area---a corner where kids could hide and not be seen by an intruder looking in through the window in a door.
The board also authorized a $22,000 annual contract for a firm that specializes in monitoring online chatter. "In all school shootings since Columbine--it's sort of the psyche of the school shooter person--they get out there and talk about this stuff on social media," explained KUSD’s Chief of School Leadership, Bill Haithcock. "What this would do is if they picked up on chatter any talk about school shootings or suicide they (the company) would pick up the phone and call us or the police department in the middle of the night to tell us about it before it happens," he said.
A big ticket security item that remains untouched is a proposal to spend $12 million to build secure entrances at the seven schools that don’t have them. The plan was part of the referendum that failed earlier this year. The board directed administration to explore alternative funding sources and report back next month.
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