New Hampshire

Schools in New Hampshire Increase Security Features

Schools in Laconia, New Hampshire, are beefing up the security.

SAU-30 Assistant Superintendent Amy Hinds said it's a project the school has been working on for a while. Calls for increased security are coming in light of the deadly shooting in Parkland, Florida, at Majory Stoneham Douglas High School where 17 people were killed.

Elm Street Elemtary is one of the five schools in the district getting a makeover.

"Our schools currently do not have surveillance on the outside of the buildings," said Hinds.

This is one of several safety upgrades being implemented in the district.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu announced that close to 300 schools will receive federal funding for school safety upgrades in his state of the state address on Feb. 15.

This money will come from the Public School Infrastructure Fund, which will invest close to $20 million in state funds.

This would make the contribution for Laconia $110,204, and the state's contribution $440,813. The district has already been approved for seven grants. They are waiting on two more totaling close to $90,000 from the state.

"We simply want to make our schools the safest in the nation," Gov.  Sununu said.

"This grant is going to allow us to increase our cameras to include the outside entrances of our buildings," Hinds said. "In light of the recent tragedy in Florida, we need to work on keeping all of our students and staff as safe as we can."

In addition to the external surveillance cameras, the campuses will receive doorknobs that lock from the inside, a new key fob system for the main entrance, two-way radios that connect all campuses together and a protective film for the glass with a lot of viewing area, which will help slow down the impact of bullets.

"Anything we can do to delay an assailaint from getting inside of the premises and create minutes, are more minutes that we have to respond," said Laconia Police Chief Matt Canfield.

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