Port Huron Schools to install door barricades

The Port Huron Area Schools Board of Education approved the purchase of new safety devices to secure classrooms during a Monday meeting.

Shawn Shackelford, executive director of Student Support and Diversity, said the district will be installing door barricades from the Michigan-based security company, NightLock.

“The barricades can withstand a tremendous amount of force,” Shackelford said. “We feel that this is a very good product for us to use.”

The barricades will be bolted into the floors. The barricades work for both inward and outward swinging doors.

Earlier this year, Port Huron Area Schools was awarded $250,000 through the Michigan State Police Competitive School Safety Grant. The district will spend approximately $85,000 from the grant money to install the barricades. The remaining funds may be used to install blackout curtains in classrooms and emergency medical care backpacks.

“Our (safety) plan has changed from getting into a corner to hide to being mobile,” said Superintendent Theodore Kerhoulas.

Currently, Port Huron classrooms have emergency kits in bins. Condensing the supplies into backpacks would make the emergency kits mobile in case the classroom needs to be evacuated.

The board voted unanimously to purchase the barricades.

Mascot discussion postponed

Kerhoulas said the board will be pausing its discussion of changing Native American mascots at three schools as they consider the cost of the rebranding.

“We need to get inside of those buildings, find out what needs to be changed and then find out the cost,” Kerhoulas said.

At the Aug. 22 meeting, the school board announced it would be revising Native American mascots within the district. The schools and mascots being considered are Port Huron High School with the Big Reds, Michigamme Elementary School with the Little Chiefs and Roosevelt Elementary School with the Little Reds.

Kerhoulas said the board anticipates revisiting the mascot discussion at either the October or November board meetings.

The next board of education meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., Oct. 17 at Port Huron Northern High School.

Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122.