Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

MI Districts Add Vinyl to Windows for Security and Cooling

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 07/17/19

Two school systems in Michigan are turning to window-sized graphics for safety, security and environmental benefit. Addison Community Schools and Hudson Area Schools have both turned to sign company Insignia Graphics to design, produce and install perforated vinyl on windows in their buildings.

According to local reporting, the window coverings help to keep rooms cooler on warm days by limiting the amount of sunlight that comes in while also providing a level of security. As Hudson Superintendent Michael Osborne told a reporter, the vinyl "enables staff and students to see outside but not people from the outside to be able to see in the classrooms." He added that the vinyl also adds strength to the glass.

The Hudson installation was part of a $141,000 safety grant the district received from the state through the Competitive School Safety Grant Program.

The funding has enabled the districts to customize the vinyl with school colors and logos. The Hudson grant was also expected to cover upgrades to entrances for the district's three buildings, including protective screens on all exterior doors, creation of a breezeway at the elementary entrance and bulletproof glass for the receptionist at both the elementary and middle school/high school main entrances.

The complete list of recipients is available on the Michigan State Police website.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.

  • Zurn Elkay Releases 2025 Sustainability Report

    Zurn Elkay Water Solutions recently announced the release of its annual sustainability report, according to a news release. The 2025 report discusses the organization’s efforts to maintain good environmental stewardship and the solutions provided in helping customers meet sustainability goals.

  • Illinois State University Breaks Ground on College of Fine Arts Transformation

    Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project, according to university news. The series of new constructions and renovations will upgrade spaces in Centennial East, the Center for the Visual Arts, and the Center for the Performing Arts, as well as replace the existing Centennial West facility with a new Commons Building.

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.