There isn’t a parent alive that doesn’t go home and hold their child a little tighter every time another story of school violence is in the news. Securing schools and other public buildings while maintaining an open atmosphere that supports learning and provides citizens with the access they need can be very challenging.

No one wants their school, county courthouse or city hall to look or feel like a prison. But we all need to know that our children are safe at school while we safely conduct business with our local governments. Given current budget constraints, schools and other governmental agencies need solutions that are economical and flexible.

Sherman Independent School District (ISD) in Sherman Texas , 60 miles north of Dallas , took safety and security seriously. With responsibility for 12 schools, over 6,000 students, and nearly 500 teachers, Sherman ISD had an emergency preparedness plan, close interaction with local law enforcement and continual monitoring of national security directives.

When school officials sought to upgrade their security system, the district found the solution they were looking for through GTSI, a provider of IT infrastructure solutions. GTSI worked with Sherman ISD to design a new security system that integrates video surveillance, interior intrusion detection utilizing passive infrared motion sensors, and a comprehensive alarm system that monitors for burglary, fire, and emergency.

Sherman ISD was able to easily procure the solution they wanted quickly and at an exceptional price, because GTSI is a U.S. Communities supplier.

U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance is a nonprofit instrumentality of government that assists local and state government agencies, school districts (K-12), higher education, and nonprofits in reducing the cost of purchased goods through pooling the purchasing power of public agencies nationwide. National discounted pricing is obtained by competitively solicited contracts for quality products through lead public agencies.

Sherman ISD's new integrated security system is primarily designed to protect students and teachers, but it will also serve as a security countermeasure to manage risk, reduce theft and vandalism, and protect critical infrastructure. The system design integrates the security components onto one platform, providing the school system with the capability to easily manage, monitor and record activities at each of its schools from a single software application. The security system's open architecture allows for future growth in the number of facilities, surveillance cameras, distance from sites, and recording and storage time.

“In order to provide our students, teachers and parents with first-rate customer service, it is imperative that we work with partners like GTSI that can provide us with an exceptional, cost-effective physical security solution,” said Chuck Edwards, Director of Maintenance and Operations at Sherman ISD.  ”We’re satisfied that this system not only meets our needs today but has the flexibility to evolve with the changes within our school district down the road.”