The Sweetwater County School District No. 2 Board of Trustees approved additional funding for a second phase of a project that will add a safety coating to windows at district schools during Tuesday night’s meeting.
The 3M Window Coating Project is an ongoing project that involves putting a safety coating on glass windows in the front entryways of all district school buildings. The board previously approved $37,000 for the project. At the meeting they approved the request for an additional $29,000.
Doug Hamel, the Maintenance and Facilities Supervisor for the district, made the request to the board and explained that the funding had to be approved in phases because the total funds would have been over the limit set for Superintendent Craig Barringer to approve.
The project also changed and expanded after a demonstration with the Green River Police Department. Hamel explained the original plan was just to coat the outside of the windows, but after the demonstration the decision was made to do an additional coating on the inside of the windows for increased safety.
Chairman Steve Core noted that he attended the demonstration with the police department. He explained a police officer shot the glass with the coating on it. While the coating doesn’t stop a bullet from going all the way through, it does make the glass sturdier after it’s been shot. Core explained the officer wasn’t able to kick in the glass or even break it by hitting it with a lead pipe.
“What it does is allows us time,” Core said, explaining the safety measures would give those inside time to respond before the situation escalates further. “I was very, very impressed with it, and I’m glad you’re going to do both sides.”
Hamel also clarified that the doors that were donated for the demonstration had one piece of glass, not insulated glass, and the demonstration tested glass with both one layer of the safety coating and two layers. He also noted the change of doing the second layer will be a change in the contract with DJ’s Glass, who the funds are going to, and verified that DJ’s Glass received special training to install the safety coating, and the next-closest 3M dealer is in Salt Lake City.
The additional funds were approved unanimously.
“This board is committed to the safety of our students and I think this will help us,” Core said.
Summer projects update
While the 3M Window Coating Project is ongoing, other projects across the district have seen significant progress during the summer.
Hamel presented an update on summer projects to the school board during the meeting.
Projects that have been completed include putting security doors at Lincoln Middle School and new turf on the stadium fields.
The largest ongoing project is the Central Kitchen, which is an over $3 million project. Hamel estimated the first phase is almost 90% done, and added that more work will be done with the contractor in September.
Two projects involving boilers and burners are waiting on burners being shipped that Hamel hopes will arrive next week.
A project to update the Green River High School roof will most likely be worked on in October.
The board also asked for an update on the Harrison Elementary playground and was told demolition had started and the hope is to have things done by August 15.
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