The Capshaw Elementary PTO wants to purchase new push-button locks for the inside of the school’s classroom doors.
Putnam County Deputy Director of Schools Tim Martin said every class in the school has a lock but rooms must be locked from the outside with a key. Martin said the new locks would not necessarily make the school’s security better than that of other schools in the district. Martin said the security provided by the locks would just be different to align with the preferences of the PTO.
“Most of the time in the past, teachers would be concerned about kids locking themselves in the room and not being readily able to get in there to the kids,” Martin said. “But nowadays, with some of the things going on around the country, a lot of people want to be able to easily lock the door from the inside.”
Martin said the PTO will need to meet the district’s specifications for any upgrades it wants to pay for. Martin said all the district’s PTOs have the freedom to do these kinds of projects but some have more luck fundraising than others.
“Some schools will find corporate sponsors to do things,” Martin said. “Some schools are eligible for grants while other schools are not. And so there are a lot of differences that go between one school and another. But I, again, want to make the point that all of our schools have working locks and all of our schools are safe.”
Martin said the district is working to get an estimate from a lock company and expects the upgrades to cost four to six hundred dollars per door.
“They are in the process of raising the funds to do this,” Martin said. “I don’t think they’re at the point of purchasing right now. But I do know that they’ve had a lock company to come out and look at the school. I don’t think they’ve got a final price yet.”
Martin said he does not know if the PTO plans to install new locks in the whole school at once or in sections.
Martin said Tennessee law requires classroom doors to be closed and latched at all times, but not locked. Martin said many schools in the district choose to lock their doors anyways, but that can be inconvenient and cause distractions when a visitor comes to a room or when students have to use the bathroom or arrive late.
“Some teachers don’t want to keep their doors locked,” Martin said. “So again this is a preference for them so that they can not have to keep their doors locked all the time and be able to more easily lock them if a lock down or something like that is called.”
