Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Minnesota Districts Implement SafeWood Designs Bullet-Resistant Products

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/24/22

Following last month's elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, K–12 districts around the U.S. are turning their attention once again to security measures that can protect students. Local news reports that Minnesota K–12 school districts are reviewing products from SafeWood Designs, which manufactures bullet-resistant products for schools, including doors, wall panels, hardware systems, furniture, and even whiteboards.

“Our number-one goal in designing these products was to keep our kids safe while they are at school, plain and simple,” said Jason Horner, CEO of SafeWood Designs, Inc. “And, at the same time, maintain the everyday look and feel kids are used to in their schools. We believe we have accomplished our goal.”

Some Minnesota schools are reviewing options like bullet-resistant dry erase boards and tack boards. “At the bottom of the shutter, there’s a pin that locks into the floor, and it becomes, effectively, a shield and a place to stand,” said SafeWood Designs’ Tim Ganser of the dry erase board.

“The whole idea of school protection is to protect the hallways with our wall panel and protect the classrooms with a bullet-resistant door to shutter,” Ganser said. “Our hope is that if they’re installed in a classroom, they’re using it as a tool for the classroom. If there’s one unfortunate time that something does happen, they have the protection they need.”

A press release notes that SafeWood uses a three-zone approach to enhance and maximize student protection. Threshold Zone 1 consists of the primary entrances; Threshold Zone 2 is the second line of protection should the entrances be breached; and Threshold Zone 3 should be “a safe space designed to withstand a constant and prolonged attack,” the release said.

“Being proactive is key. We strongly encourage legislators to consider funding for bullet-resistant systems. If every classroom incorporated a bullet-resistant safe zone, it would not only offer protection when it’s most needed—but also offer additional, precious time for authorities to arrive," said Horner.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at [email protected]

Featured

  • Preparing for the Next Era of Healthcare Education, Innovation

    Across the country, public universities and community colleges are accelerating investments in healthcare education facilities as part of a broader strategy to address workforce shortages, modernize outdated infrastructure, and expand clinical training capacity. These projects, which are often located at the center of campus health and science districts, are no longer limited to traditional classrooms.

  • T&T Construction Management Group Completes Pasco High School Expansion

    Pasco High School in Dade City, Fla., recently announced that it has completed an expansion project in partnership with T&T Construction Management Group, Inc., Harvard Jolly Architecture, and Williams Company.

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.

  • UT System Board of Regents Approves $108M Housing Complex

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently announced the approval of a new, $108-million housing complex at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), according to a news release. The facility will stand four stories and have a total of 456 new beds for freshmen students.