SAFETY AND SECURITY IN STEEL VALLEY ELEMENTARY

Nothing is more important than the safety and security of Steel Valley students and staff. The opportunity to provide a safer and more secure environment was one of many reasons why the district decided to move ahead with building a new school.

Steel Valley Elementary is designed with a safe-schools entrance. This vestibule limits access to the building. Visitors will be buzzed in to a closed-off security area, where they will be screened by security and explain the reason behind their visit. Visitors will have to provide identification, just like they’re required to access any Steel Valley building now. They will also be required to pass through a metal detector before accessing the main office through an electronically secure door.

Once in the main office, staff will assist them. This process ensures that no visitor will have the freedom or means to roam the school building and potentially put staff and students at risk.

The separation of community areas like the gymnasium, cafeteria, and administrative suite from the academic wing was a purposeful design. Not only does it provide staff with the ability to secure the academic wing during the school day in case of an emergency, but it blocks access to that area during after-school hours when community members might be in the building for meetings and events.

The building also has a surveillance system, remote access control for security officers, and intruder detection components on exterior doors.

Though the design features expansive glass windows to allow for a bright, sunlit environment, the glass is specially rated to protect students and staff from the outside. The windows can still be used as a means of egress in the case of an emergency.

On the exterior, bollards and other traffic control devices will be in place to protect pedestrians during arrival and dismissal, as well as to protect entrances and windows.