WORLAND — Doors at any Washakie County School District No. 1 will no longer be propped open during regular school hours, for any reason.

Superintendent David Nicholas said during Monday’s regular meeting, “We’re not going to prop a door open in this district again; not a kid, not a teacher.” He said the policy change is being outlined in all the handbooks for the new school year and noted that possible consequences for students and staff could be short-time suspension.

“We’re not going to spend half a million dollars and then prop a door open,” Nicholas said. “We’re just not going to prop a door open anywhere, anytime.”

For public events doors will be keyed open, as well as after attendance centers are closed and students are gone if there are practices or other activities.

Board member Duane Whitlock suggested the district look into sensors at all side doors which would signal the front office if a side door is open.

He presented the board a possible timeline for school safety projects, adding that estimated cost, if the board opted for all of the items could be at a minimum, $500,000.

A few items on the school safety timeline are moving forward — ALICE training, additional cameras throughout the district and securing the back entry shop area at Worland High School.

Nicholas said he, along with two law enforcement officers and two principals will take the ALICE training later this summer with trainings offered in Powell in August and Riverton in September. He said one of the officers is a school resource officer.

“We’ll train the district when we get back,” Nicholas said, adding that ALICE training adds hide, run and fight to the district’s current active shooter protocol.

According to the website, alicetraining.com, ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) Training instructor-led classes provide preparation and a plan for individuals and organizations on how to more proactively handle the threat of an aggressive intruder or active shooter event. Whether it is an attack by an individual person or by an international group of professionals intent on conveying a political message through violence, ALICE Training option based tactics have become the accepted response, versus the traditional ‘lockdown only’ approach.”

Nicholas said, “It’s certainly more aggressive and you’re going to hear about it. We’ll prep our parents and kids.”

New cameras are being installed throughout the district this summer in a project previously approved by the district. During the February meeting, the board approved an upgrade to the district surveillance system for $167,900. The project includes replacing and upgrading all cameras in the district. Business Manager Jack Stott said during the February meeting that currently there is only exterior cameras at the three elementary schools. The project calls for adding interior cameras.

There are already interior and exterior cameras at the middle school and high school but additional cameras will be added at both schools to increase coverage.

He added that the new cameras will be high definition cameras, compared to the standard definition currently installed.

The bid from the recommended company, Ad Tech Alarm of Cody, includes network video recorders at all schools. He said additional storage space will be likely be needed and asked the board to approve an additional $19,045. He said the district likes to keep a month’s worth of recordings.

He said there will be more than 200 cameras throughout the district. There is a three-year warranty on the cameras and five-year on recorders with an additional two years if the district registers the equipment.

Nicholas said this summer the will be securing the areas behind the high school for the ag and welding shops. He said the district needs to fence between some buildings. He said due to the nature of the shops the bay doors are usually open so the perimeter needs to be secured.

In proposals for the district still to consider but in the projected timeline presented at Monday’s meeting were:

•The district would like a safety audit completed in the district.

•They have also hired an architect firm, CTA, to evaluate the doorways for all five schools, the central office and educational resource center for a double-entry entryway that would accommodate an identification system similar to the one established in Powell, safety glass, bollards and metal detectors, if the board so chooses any or all of the options for the entryways.

“We’ve never talked about metal detectors. That’s me putting it on there,” Nicholas said, adding, “One of our teachers said if a kid brings a gun to school, the only way you find that out is a metal detector.”

He said many big city schools have metal detectors but he noted there are not many in Wyoming.

•Nicholas said he would like a full-time school resource officer. The current office is shared with Ten Sleep school district.

Board member Joe Bishop said having a full-time school resource officer would be a priority for him.

•The district is conducting a public survey to gauge interest in allowing district staff members to have a concealed carry firearm with them during school hours. The 2017 Wyoming Legislature passed a law allowing districts to arm staff members if they so choose.

•Mental health. On opening day of school for the 2018-2019 school year there will be mental health first aid training for employees.

Nicholas said they are going to heighten teachers awareness, including “see something, say something” because “any problem is all our problem.”

Nicholas said whatever the board opts for, aside from the cameras, training and shop security, which are happening this summer, would have to be completed next summer and likely with major maintenance funding.

“None of this is pleasant. I think eventually, whether it’s me, or someone after, you’re going to have to do it all,” Nicholas said.

Chairman Don Bryant said, “This is good conversation. We’ll keep talking about it every month.”