Case Study Highlights Texas District’s Campus Security Upgrades

The Taft Independent School District near Corpus Christi, Texas, recently partnered with Intech Southwest Services to revamp its campus security technology system, according to a news release. Intech has released a case study on its website detailing the process that advanced the district’s technology by more than 20 years in less than three weeks.

The State of Texas recently launched an initiative to fund the purchase of new security components like gates, automatic door locks, fences, camera systems, access control, and more, the news release reports. The Intech leadership team took a consultative role in helping the small district make decisions with limited funds and staffing.

“Over the past 23 years, Intech has had the privilege of serving K-12 districts of all sizes and complexities,” said Intech Southwest Services Owner Kevin Reyher. “We want to emphasize to even the smallest Texas districts that, no matter the time of year, they have the ability to implement elaborate new technologies on relatively short notice, especially when something as critical as campus security is involved.”

TISD previously used a small system of older, mismatched, low-res cameras tethered to a local server, leading to constant problems with upgrading and syncing devices. There was also no connection to local law enforcement and limited storage capacity to archive video recordings.

Intech installed 90 Verkada camera units across all three TISD campuses in three weeks, working outside school hours to minimize disruptions. In addition to streamlining the district’s technologies into a single cloud-based system, the Verkada solution also allows local law enforcement access and views of each camera, according to the news release.

“In today’s environment, campus security is of the utmost importance, and it’s a must to have high-tech security in place within K-12 campuses,” said TISD Computer Technician Edgar Mendoza. “Cameras, and the complexity of their networking and integration, are critical campus safety components that cannot be overstated today. The moment was right for this upgrade, and we didn’t want to waste any time.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Niles West High School Natatorium Renovation

    Natatoriums are highly specialized spaces, and luminaires in this setting face several unique challenges. Perhaps the most significant is corrosion, which is exacerbated by high indoor humidity, condensation, and pool chemicals, often resulting in material degradation in luminaires not certified to perform in corrosive environments.

  • Armstrong World Industries Acquires Parallel Architectural Products

    Armstrong World Industries, provider of interior and exterior architectural applications, recently announced that it has acquired the Colorado-based Parallel Architectural Products, according to a news release.

  • Surging Demand for Student Housing Fuels Major Campus Investment Opportunities

    University leaders throughout the U.S. are accelerating plans to modernize and expand student housing as enrollment stabilizes and demand for on-campus living rebounds. Recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that total postsecondary enrollment is projected to grow through the end of the decade, with undergraduate enrollment alone expected to increase by more than 8 percent by 2030.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.