Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Minnesota Schools Secure Entrances with State Safety Grants

  • By Yvonne Marquez
  • 10/07/19

Minnesota awarded $25 million in safety grants to 123 school buildings last fall, reported the MinnPost. The funding came out of last year’s state legislative session in response to safety concerns after the Parkland, Florida school shooting.

Since the Minnesota Department of Education received a high volume of applications (more than 1,150), the state decided to prioritize applications that focused on entrance and emergency communications upgrades. The state made final selections through a lottery system. No school got more than $500,000.

Here’s a brief look at how Minnesota schools used the grants awarded last fall:

Delano High School: The high school created a new secure entrance, added traffic barriers outside of the front door to prevent a vehicle from crashing through and renovated the administrative wing of the building. Visitors are now expected to walk into a vestibule then through a side door that leads to the front desk, where their driver’s license is screened and vetted before being able to gain access to the building.

Columbia Heights Public Schools: Construction has not started at two school sites that received funding but once renovations are complete, they will have an upgraded front entrance system like Delano schools.

Goodhue Public Schools: Almost all of the funding the district received will go toward upgrading the main school building with a secure entrance.

Chisholm Public Schools: One school located in the Iron Range will get a complete front office redesign, a new intercom system and the addition of a few security cameras.  

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Bradley Company Highlights Hygiene Tips for Global Handwashing Day

    In honor of Global Handwashing Day on October 15, commercial washrooms and emergency safety solutions provider Bradley Company recently released the results of its 2026 Healthy Handwashing Survey. The findings indicate simple, practical steps that facilities managers can take to encourage good hygiene on campus.

  • Wenger Names New Vice President of Sales for Performing Arts, Controls

    Wenger Corporation, which provides products and solutions for music and theater education, performing arts and athletic storage, recently announced the hiring of a new Vice President of Sales for Performing Arts and Controls.

  • California District Opens New Robotics Center

    The Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD) in Cupertino, Calif., recently held a Grand Opening ceremony for a new, district-wide Robotics Center, according to a news release. The 14,500-square-foot facility was designed by Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA); Landmark Constructors served as the builder and Blach Construction as general construction manager.

  • Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

    The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release.