ASHLAND — Ashland City Schools will soon get a number of school security and safety upgrades, courtesy of a recently-announced state grant.
On Monday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced that Ashland City Schools would receive a total of $225,050 as a part of the state’s ongoing K-12 School Safety Grant Program.
The district will use the money to purchase exterior PA systems, upgrade and expand radios and repeaters, improve access control and automation of doors, facility lighting, GPS units for school vehicles, and improve alarms, according to Ben Spieldenner, the Director of Technology Innovation and Integration at Ashland City Schools.
The district was already looking to make these improvements, but the grant money will let the district start them much sooner, Spieldenner added.
The grant money will be divided among the district’s schools with $83,250 for Ashland High School, $33,100 for Ashland Middle School, $36,550 for Edison Elementary School, $35,600 for Reagan Elementary School, and $36,550 for Taft Intermediate School.
To qualify for the grant, district employees conducted a Safety and Vulnerability Assessment to identify areas where the schools could improve their security. They spent weeks filling out paperwork, setting goals, and determining costs before submitting the grant, Spieldenner said.
“Security and safety has been and always will be a top priority for Ashland City Schools,” he said.
