SPENCER, W.Va. — All five schools in the Roane County district are equipped with secure entrances to begin the 2022-23 school year.
The completion of the fifth and final one at Spencer Middle School in the past week before students took to the classrooms on Aug. 24. Spencer Middle joins Spencer Elementary, Geary Elementary Middle, Walton Elementary Middle, and Roane County High School with the entrances.
Roane County Schools Superintendent Dr. Richard Duncan told MetroNews that the entrances mean no one is allowed to just walk into a school and wander.
“The public has one unified place to come into the building. It is a secure entrance so someone just can’t walk in. You have to be allowed into the building by someone working at the school and once you’re in, you’re in a waiting area,” Duncan said.
Construction on these entrances began in 2020 at Spencer Elementary and Roane County High and was fully locally funded by a 2018 school bond levy election. The secure entrances were one of five projects on the levy.
Duncan said it brings an extra level of comfort to students and staff inside a building because they’ll now know if someone is there, they are there for a purpose.
“We don’t have folks who are just coming in a random door and following signs to an office which was a thing for many years in schools,” Duncan said.
The bond also included upgraded parking and exterior lighting, roof replacements and repairs, HVAC improvements, and the study phase of a new Spencer Middle School,
Duncan said there is a prevention resource officer at Roane High School and another officer for the three middle schools.
For questions, contact Superintendent Dr. Richard Duncan at (304) 927-6400 or rdduncan@k12.wv.us.