North Boone Schools May Increase Security

Poplar Grove, Illinois- At North Boone High School, someone is always watching. When the school was built in 2004, a camera system was included. There`s a full 360 degree range around the building and cameras in the hallways. "The random nature of these violent actions really has forced us to look at each of our schools very differently," says Superintendent Michael Houselog. After someone is let in the building, they must report to the front office which was strategically placed right in the entry. Even Congressman Don Manzullo, who was a guest speaker at the school, had to sign in. But Houselog says the high school is the only building in the district with this kind of equipment. "Additional technology that we need to bring in will have to come from school district funds and those are pretty scarce these days," says Houselog. "Yet safety is our number one concern." So Houselog will ask the school board to look into funding more security equipment. But the technology can cost up to a quarter of a million dollars. The district has also started to run "intruder drills." The drills involve local law enforcement officers and will mandatory for each school in the district.