Gov. Baker Announces New School Safety Grants In Framingham

FRAMINGHAM, MA — A "shot-spotter" system at Framingham High School may save lives in the event of a school shooting by telling police where an active shooter is located. But local police, educators, and elected officials say that such technology is just a tiny piece of a larger effort to prevent school violence.

During a roundtable discussion at a Framingham middle school on Tuesday, officials from Gov. Charlie Baker to state education commissioner Jeffrey Riley discussed the many tactics officials are trying out to prevent the next school shooting from taking place in Massachusetts.

Officials also announced Tuesday that $7.3 million in state grants had been given to 143 school districts (see list below) across the state for safety upgrades. Baker said there's the possibility of $15 million more, subject to approval in the state House. Some of that money went to Framingham for the shooting-spotter technology, but the grants are also being used to fund programs to help students — for efforts like suicide prevention, for example, or programs like "Start With Hello!" to reduce social isolation.

In opening remarks at the roundtable, held at Walsh Middle School, Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer pointed out that talking about school safety is a sad but necessary task.

"Safety is of critical importance," said Spicer, a former Framingham teacher.

Officials also emphasized that school safety looks different across cities and towns. Holliston Superintendent Bradford Jackson said that his district used state grant money to buy security cameras.

Framingham Schools Health and Wellness Director Judith Styer outlined several social programs the district is taking to prevent violence. The district is putting together a "safety risk team" to identify students who might pose a threat, and provide them with help. Another program, Styer said, teaches young people how to report students who make threats.

Last week, two Framingham High School students were spotted with a weapon on campus. No one was hurt, but in an email, Principal Carolyn Banach reminded parents that students can help in such situations.

"We take all matters of school safety seriously and remind everyone that it is important to say something, if you see something," she wrote.

Massachusetts has never seen a school shooting on the scale of Sandy Hook or Parkland. The most recent occurred in 2016, when two men in their 20s shot and killed a 17-year-old outside Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester during a fire drill.

Eugene Penrod, Framingham's director of safety and security, said during the discussion that the high school's shot-spotter system is a valuable piece of security, able to shave seconds or minutes off response times. But he hopes that other prevention programs work faster.

"I hope we never use [the shot-spotter]. I hope we test it once a year and that's it," he said.

Here are the school districts that received grant money from the $7.3 million pot:

• Acton Boxborough Regional School District: $80,000 for electronic access door controls
• Adams Cheshire Regional School District: $49,689.48 for cameras, Aiphone IP system, access control main entrance door
• Alma Del Mar Charter School: $60,000 for surveillance cameras, door locks, doorbells/aiphone
• Ashburnham Westminster Regional School District-Overlook Middle School: $59,604.93 for security cameras
• Ashland Public Schools: $30,000 for security cameras
• Assabet Regional Technical High School: $80,000 for a Rauland tele-center, intercom/paging system
• Atlantis Charter School: $20,000 for security cameras, radio sets, security equipment for front doors
• Auburn Public Schools: $48,000.00 for server replacement, new surveillance cameras
• Ayer Shirley Regional School District: $40,779 for repeaters, radios, FCC License
• Barnstable High Schools: $80,000 for video surveillance system
• Bellingham Public Schools: $22,500 to re-key Memorial School, new locking mechanism
• Berkley Public Schools: $35,000.00 Perimeter security system, control access entry, LobbyGuard kiosks, camera system
• Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter (BART): $34,950 for electronic key card systems, exterior door replacements
• Berlin Boylston School District: $34,950 for interoperability repeaters, radios, public safety link
• Blackstone Millville Regional School District: $14,737.50 for surveillance systems (card readers, IP cameras, access control)
• Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational School: $80,000.00 for locks, security cameras, proximity card readers
• Braintree Public Schools: $78,754.00 for surveillance cameras
• Bristol County Agricultural High School: $73,005 for security system-visual monitoring equipment, door access controls
• Brockton Public Schools: $77,201.55 for door locks, video surveillance cameras
• Chelmsford Public Schools: $60,000 for S2 software and server hardware, door lock node
• Clarksburg Public Schools: $35,000 for vestibule/double entry system w/bullet proof glass, video surveillance, access control system
• Clinton Public Schools: $30,000.00 for proximity card system, remote alarm system
• Cohasset Middle/High School: $34,670 to expand coverage of interior camera system
• Community Charter School of Cambridge: $80,000 for security systems
• Concord Public Schools: $18,680 for exterior cameras
• Conway Grammar School: $30,000 for door structures, locking hardware, access control syste
• Dedham Public Schools: $31,873.00 for exterior door locks, security vestibule
• Deerfield Elementary Schools: $31,500 for external door monitoring technology, video surveillance system
• Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District: $60,000 to replace worn/outdated doors and locking hardware
• Duxbury Public Schools: $60,000 for security cameras, lock down emergency notification system
• East Bridgewater Public/Gordon W. Mitchell School: $45,000 for security equipment for doors and main entrances
• Easton Public Schools: $20,620.48 to update to security camera systems
• Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School: $75,000 for electronic door system, keypads, interior/exterior cameras, lobby guard system
• Farmington River Regional Elementary School: $10,000 for interior and exterior video surveillance cameras
• Fitchburg Public Schools: $80,000 to upgrade to entry doors/locks, emergency exit doors
• Foxboro Regional Charter School: $46,666.67 for door locks
• Foxborough Public Schools: $40,848.75 for exterior door hardware, panic bars and locking control system
• Framingham Public Schools: $60,000 for active Shooter Detection
• Franklin Public Schools: $60,000 for security cameras, panic buttons, access control switches
• Freetown/Lakeville Regional School District: $65,432.02 for door access control system, restricted keyway door locks
• Frontier Regional Schools: $22,000 for integrated access control system w/card readers
• Gardner Public Schools: $60,000.00 for classroom door locks, security cameras, access control system
• Gateway Regional School District: $26,577 for single point of entry system
• Georgetown Public Schools: $35,000 for radio systems with repeaters, replacement radios and programming
• Granby Public School: $30,400 for new doors and locking hardware
• Greater Lawrence Technical School: $80,000 for HDTV external network cameras, external public announcement system, Ethernet enabled integrated external door controllers
• Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School: $11,220 for security cameras and intercom system
• Greenfield Public Schools: $60,000 for surveillance cameras, single entry door locks
• Groton-Dunstable Regional School District: $49,213 for two-way radios to police and fire
• Hadley Public Schools: $34,057.45 for exterior doors and locks, key fob systems with single secure entry points, interior classroom door locks
• Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District: $60,000 for cameras, panic buttons, single point entry locking device, stop the bleed kits
• Hampshire Regional Schools: $59,034.52 for secure single-entry front doors, front reception window
• Hatfield Public School District: $33,826 for Corbin door locks, install thumbscrews, repair panic bars, blue strobe light
• Hingham Public Schools: $56,980.00 for locking hardware with electronic access systems. Public Address systems
• Holliston Public Schools: $60,000 for exterior camera surveillance system
• Holyoke Public Schools: $47,851 for door locks, entry door vestibule, electric strikes for existing doors, bulletproof security window, exterior/interior cameras
• Hopedale Public Schools: $35,000 for door Locks, security cameras, visitor management system, RFDI scanner
• Hopkinton Public Schools: $49,000 for a Visitor Management System
• Hudson Public Schools: $60,000.00 for security management hardware and software
• Lawrence Public Schools: $71,300 for enhanced communication security system
• Lee Middle and High School: $30,550 for a vestibule, remote access control, security glass, locks
• Leicester High School: $52,673.75 for access control and video monitoring
• Leominster Public School: $74,448.68 for exterior doors, emergency buttons, security cameras
• Leverett Elementary School: $8,882 for keyless access points for entrances
• Lincoln-Sudbury Regional Schools: $59,000 for a Dukane Communications System
• Lowell Public Schools: $72,000.00 Interior double doors and locks
• Lunenburg Public Schools: $55,500.00 Single cameras, multi focus/multi directional cameras
• Lynn Public Schools: $49,600 for RAVE mobile school safety app
• Malden Public Schools: $60,000 for security cameras
• Mansfield Public Schools: $79,995 for exterior doors and locks
• Marlborough Public Schools: $40,000 to update security cameras
• Martha's Vineyard Regional School District: $60,000 to laminate film on interior windows, standard key locking mechanisms on interior doors
• Masconomet Regional School District: $80,000 for door locks and hardware
• McCann Technical School/Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District: $24,393.95 for surveillance cameras, wireless access points, POE injectors, vinyl window block out clings
• Medford Public Schools: $38,502 for security rated impact resistance film for doors, online training platform
• Medway Public Schools: $60,000 to replace classroom doorknobs/locksets
• Mendon-Upton Regional School District: $28,678 for security cameras and security system
• Methuen Public Schools: $79,461.88 for classroom door locks, surveillance cameras
• Middleborough Public Schools: $50,490 for security cameras, network server
• Millbury Public Schools: $59,392.42 for replacement doors, panic buttons, double-door locked security, cameras
• Mohawk Trail Regional School District: $59,978 for security vestibule, security cameras and equipment, blue flashing exterior warning lights, Go-kits
• Monomy Regional School District: $60,000 for agnetic swipe entry cards
• Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School: $80,000 for exterior doors and locks
• Nahant Public School- Johnson Elementary: $4,795 for security cameras and security system
• Nantucket Public Schools: $45,600 for Motorola APX Portable radios
• Nashoba Regional School District: $62,230 for public safety linking communication system, inclusive of repeaters, linking system, radios and licensing
• Nashoba Valley Technical School: $80,000 for electronic lock system, interior classroom locks
• Natick Public Schools: $19,995 for electronic visitor management equipment and software
• New Bedford Public Schools: $64,000 for door safety locks, retro fit door locking device
• Newton Public Schools: $61,570 for security cameras, HDMVR server
• North Brookfield Schools: $35,000 for Interoperability Communication System to include phones
• Northbridge Public Schools: $59,700 for exterior door sets, new locksets for doors
• Norton Public Schools: $47,521 for cameras, buzzer systems, ID scanning software, visitor badge printers
• Norwood Public Schools: $28,000 for interior cameras, card access devices
• Old Rochester Regional School District: $60,000 for a hard access door kit, security cameras and mounts, card access controller
• Oxford Public Schools: $59,111.35 for IP security cameras with programming
• Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical School: $8,696.24 for exterior door locks, security and ID cutout numbers
• Peabody Public Schools: $56,000 for a SIELOX CLASS (crisis alert status system)
• Pembroke Public School: $60,000 for a card access door system
• Pittsfield Public Schools: $74,038.90 for door security locking and notification system; portable radios, intercom connection to radios, portable radios, emergency bags for schools
• Quabbin Regional School District: $60,000 for classroom locks
• Quaboag Regional School District: $34,900 for portable analog/digital radios, repeaters, and Public Safety Link
• Quincy Public Schools: $30,000 for exterior Door Locks for Access Control
• Rockport Public Schools: $29,526 for key card door locking access systems
• Salem Public Schools: $80,000 for wireless security system for exterior doors
• Scituate Public Schools: $24,476 for exterior doors and hardware, video cameras and panic alarms
• Shrewsbury Public Schools: $70,000 for a communications system
• Silver Lake Regional School District: $80,000 for single-entry front access door locks, interoperable communications equipment, security cameras, large stop the bleed kits
• Sizer School, A North Central Charter Essential School: $38,437 for door locks /panic bars and security cameras
• Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School: $25,469.45 for stop the bleed tourniquets, radios and wiring system
• Somerset Berkley Regional School District: $60,000.00 for video surveillance equipment, wall-mounted trauma kits, and panic buttons
• Somerset Public Schools: $45,000 for video surveillance equipment and panic button
• Somerville Public Schools: $48,148.67 for surveillance video cameras, network switch
• South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School: $78,375.83 for exterior security doors
• Southbridge Public Schools: $33,500.00 for video surveillance cameras and network video storage
• Springfield Public Schools: $63,500 for a Rave Mobile Panic Button Communication Platform
• Sudbury Public Schools: $41,550.46 for walkie-talkies
• Sunderland Elementary School District: $35,000.00 for hardware, access control system
• Swampscott Public Schools: $54,884.70 for exterior electromagnetic door locks, internal electromagnetic door locks
• Tantasqua Regional School District: $36,400.00 for additional security cameras
• Taunton Public School $58,500 for security cameras & Avigilon Network Recording Systems
• Tewksbury Public - John R. Ryan Elementary School: $80,000 for a security system, including cameras, access/control system
• The Edgartown School: $21,357 for electronic active shooter detection, reporting system
• Topsfield Elementary School District: $34,916.38 for digital video surveillance systems
• Triton Regional School District: $80,000 for upgraded door access system, two-way portable hand held radios
• Up Island Regional School District: $35,000 for Lockdown & Emergency Response Kits, security shades, door locks
• Uxbridge Public Schools: $60,000 for exterior doors, locks and single entry door & security cameras
• Veritas Preparatory Charter School: $67,816 for exterior doors & security systems
• Wachusett Regional School District: $43,846 for security cameras, emergency Go-Buckets
• Wakefield Public School: $61,713.67 for a surveillance system, active shooter detection system in the district
• Webster Public Schools: $60,184.82 for surveillance cameras
• Westford Public School: $40,000 for door locks
• Westport Community School: $59,675.70 for security locks, first aid trauma kits, installation
• Westwood Public Schools: $60,000 for door locks
• Weymouth Public School: $78,358.32 for single-point access security entrances with keyless fob, access updated security cameras, panic button, single entry door locks
• Whately Elementary School: $25,000 for door structures, locking hardware, access control system
• Whitman Hanson Regional School District: $60,000 for locks for classroom doors, security card access for exterior doors, upgrade hardware and software
• Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School: $60,000 for intercom system, security communication system
• Wilmington Public School: $19,735 for key-lock system
• Winchendon Public School: $58,615 for single entry electronic door locks, security cameras, and alarm tie-ins
• Woburn Public School: $69,676.98 for electronic hardware on exterior doors
• Worcester Public Schools: $80,000 for locks and cameras for classrooms
• Wrentham Public Schools: $10,712.50 for an Active Intruder Communication System