Hollister
– San Benito High School officials announced their intent to
install $35,000 worth of fencing and alarms Thursday in response to
increased campus vandalism and theft.
Hollister – San Benito High School officials announced their intent to install $35,000 worth of fencing and alarms Thursday in response to increased campus vandalism and theft.
Director of Operations and Finance Jim Koenig detailed the district’s plan in a presentation at the Thursday night Board of Trustees meeting. Officials hope to install $15,000 worth of fencing between eight and 10 feet high around the portions of the main campus on Monterey street that are not already gated. This means that gates would be installed between the O’Donnell gym and auditorium, between the auditorium and the library, the library and the cafeteria and across the breezeway entrance by ‘Baler alley.
The fences are designed to restrict access or “cut-through” traffic on campus after school hours and on weekends, which educators say is a problem and leads to most of the vandalism staff have to deal with. Having intruders on campus is also a safety liability for the district, said Koenig, who said that he had personally witnessed young people goofing off on campus.
“They were on their skateboards, going down what is essentially a ramp (on ‘Baler alley) and flying out 30 feet into the street,” he said Thursday.
Security is a top priority for the high school, as is cutting down vandalism, which can be expensive for the district to repair. Earlier in the summer the district removed all of its general-use lockers, which were often targets for graffiti, theft or arson, a move that Koenig estimates will save the district $25,000 in labor and materials.
More recently, Koenig reported that five computers had been stolen from the high school and that a band of young people were caught “casing” the administration building.
“They went so far as to have one create a diversion while the rest snuck in,” he said.
Koenig said that the “nice, ornamental” fencing, as well as $20,000 in alarms, would be designed to keep vandals out, not students in, and that the gates would remain open during school hours. The alarms would be installed in the offices of the principal and registrar, the secretarial center and the district meeting room, as well as in one of the student services rooms and district offices on the second floor of the main building.
One or two parents present at the meeting voiced their support for new fencing but, for their part, trustees indicated that they wanted more information on the project, such as a green light from local police, fire and emergency officials. All, however, expressed concern about the school’s security challenges.
Trustee Evelyn Muro was particularly concerned about the aesthetics of the new fencing, as well as the effect it would have on students who have to look at it every day.
“It’s a major thing, really,” she said. “The school is going to look a lot different, and there’s a psychological difference that I don’t know if people are prepared for.”
The board asked that it receive more information on the project before it goes forward. The $35,000 would come out of the district’s building fund and not affect moneys used for general operation of the school.
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
