Columbia Public Schools approve security upgrade for new elementary school

Public school leaders approved some security upgrades for its new elementary school.

The Board of Education voted on a $22,000 contract with Ultimate Security Window Armor, LLC to reinforce the windows at Cedar Ridge Elementary School with a protective film.

The film is designed to slow the process of shattering a window or glass door, USWA co-partner Mark Bradbury told ABC 17 News. The film keeps the glass in place when either shot with a bullet or hit with a blunt object.

Half of the school district’s buildings are reinforced with the film, according to security director John White.

Jonathan Sessions, school board member and chairman of the long-range facilities planning committee, said the film is a great tool since older buildings can be retrofitted with it. He would like to see new buildings, like Cedar Ridge Elementary, built with the technology in place.

“I want to move to a place where we’re not even coming in and adding this later, it’s just an assumed investment in the new construction and that it’s there from the very get-go,” Sessions said.