Grant Funds School Project in Westbrook, Connecticut

WESTBROOK - Residents can be relieved to know that the town will receive over $82,000 in reimbursement funds from the State of Connecticut for school security improvements at all three public schools.

Superintendent of Schools Patricia Charles said she was "delighted" when she heard the news and that this is "a substantial amount of money."

The $82,601.54 reimbursement is slated to pay a portion of the $299,000 worth of security improvements approved by residents at a town meeting held this past December.

According to Charles, funds will be used for basic perimeter security at Daisy Ingraham Elementary School, Westbrook Middle School, and Westbrook High School based on recommendations made by Connecticut State Police Troop F.

Charles said that the planning process for those improvements has started and portions of the project will go out for open bid while others could come from the state bid list.

Since the district received reimbursement funds, Charles said the project would need to be completed by June 30.

The project will run concurrently with the installation of a new fire alarm system at the elementary school.

It was necessary to replace the 30-year-old system since it was made by a company who has since went out of business and parts are extremely hard to find.

Residents approved the expenditure of $99,000 for it this past December knowing that no state reimbursement funds would be available for it, which means there is no required completion date.

Charles is hopeful the new fire alarm system will be installed by this summer.

In total, the state awarded $5 million in grant funds to enhance school security in 360 individual schools across the state.

School district personnel and first responders in each community were required to complete school facilities security checklists which were scored by a review committee.

That committee consisted of staff from the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Department of Public Safety, and State Department of Education.

"Schools in Connecticut and across the nation have seen an increase in violence," said Governor M. Jodi Rell.

"As a result, schools are using more of their budgets to pay for security. Items like surveillance cameras, entry buzzers, panic alarms, scan card systems and portable screening devices are being purchased. These grants will reimburse schools for some of those costs and provide some relief for local budgets. The funds will also help with costs associated with the training of school personnel."

This was the first year of funding for this grant program but next year an additional $5 million in school security funds will become available.

Of the projected $127,108 cost for security and safety improvements at the elementary school, the state will pay for $37,674.81.

At the middle school, security improvements estimated at $71,101 will be partially paid for with $18,545.94 from the state grant.

The $100,184 of estimated security improvements at the high school will be offset by $26,380.79 in state funds.