BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- The Massena Central School District will now be safer with the installation of safety features as part of the district's $49.6 million capital project.

Officials say a number of features have since been incorporated into the district's 2024-25 safety plan, including outdoor blue strobe lights.

According to Principal Alan Oliver, the lights will be used to alert others of incidents occurring on and around the John Story Trail.

Oliver also touched on another physical security feature, saying the district now has doors that "lock safely from the inside, which we didn't have until the last capital project."

With new doors and locks installed, teachers can lock their doors with the press of a single button in case of an emergency. The feature will play a key role in lockdown drills, officials say.

According to now-retired Principal Duane Richards Jr., the new locks and doors are a welcome addition. He told board members teachers previously had to ensure they had their keys ready while physically locking the door, all while organizing their students.

The new system now allows for teachers to signal a lockdown from anywhere in the school, he said.

Upgraded clocks and public address systems were also installed, further aiding in safety responses, officials said.

The new clocks and PA systems now allow for messages to be displayed and each phone can call a lockdown. The digital clocks also allow for quick access to  a lockdown button in the event of an emergency.

“Our new clock system is excellent. The button is actually a lockdown button that’s right next to my office. I can flick that cover and hit that button to lock the school down at the drop of a hat," Oliver said.

Richards complimented the district on implementing the system, including the board of education for their insistence the system be upgraded as part of the recently completed capital project.

District officials are already looking to the future for further upgrades and enhancements, with planning just beginning for the next capital project.

School officials say they want to continue to enhance the district's safety plan.

“Obviously there’s a few more things, particularly at the high school, that we’d like to address from the safety perspective in the next capital project. The superintendent and I are already talking about those things anyhow,” Oliver said.