HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Christian County Public Schools Safety Director Clayton Sumner outlined a safety plan and priorities for the new Christian County High School which includes testing hundreds of cameras and installing a weapons detection system while construction wraps up.
“Safety is very deliberate,” he told school board members during the June 4 workshop meeting. Ahead of the school year, Sumner and School Resource Officers with CCPS Police will focus on several areas to ensure the building is ready and secure for incoming students. This includes conducting a comprehensive inspection and testing for access control systems, emergency radio communications, and emergency notification systems like fire alarms and lockdown systems.
They will also ensure weapons detection systems are working properly and are located in an ideal area. Surveillance cameras and monitoring stations will be tested as well during this process. The school board previously approved the purchase of over 300 security cameras for CCHS that will be installed inside and outside the school including hallways and classrooms.
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Establishing traffic flow, working with emergency responders
Five SROs will be assigned at the new CCHS, and Sumner explained that their CCPS Police vehicles will be prominently displayed around the exterior of the building to establish a law enforcement presence. SROs will be responsible for coordinating the logistics of bus lanes, student parking and parent drop off zones which will all be properly marked before school starts. They will also have to label emergency access routes.
Part of their preparedness includes reaching out to students and families about the traffic flow before the school year starts. This communication includes establishing arrival and dismissal expectations at the new campus in order to ensure everything flows smoothly and students stay safe by being dropped off in proper areas.
“Traffic will be interesting the first week,” said Sumner, adding that SROs plan to meeting every day at the beginning of the school year to fine tune any processes that are not operating as they should.
Parents can look out for more information about what to expect at the start of the year on the ParentSquare app and other communications from CCPS as the school year approaches.
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