WESTHAMPTON — Hampshire Regional High School will soon be able to fix a longstanding safety issue.
After getting buzzed into the school, visitors are supposed to go to the main office to check-in. But because of the way the building is designed, it’s possible for people to forgo the front office and walk freely into the building, according to principal Kristen Smidy.
“That’s pretty problematic,” she said.
In mid-July, the school was awarded $59,034 in grant funding to fix the problem from the state’s Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
“We’ve been lucky, we haven’t had any true concerns,” Smidy said, “but given today’s culture and climate, it’s in our best interest to get this done as soon as possible.”
She said that school shootings across the country in recent years have made the project even more relevant.
The renovation project will put a window between the office and the foyer area where guests are buzzed into the building.
It’s not a new issue. During the nine years that Smidy has been at the school, she said State Police have been making the suggestion to renovate the entryway.
Although the district wanted to do a renovation, it was expensive. “It hasn’t been in our budget,” Smidy said.
If something did happen, “The response time for (the) police coming to Hampshire can be pretty long depending on if there is an officer on duty,” Smidy said. “Westhampton has a part-time staff. They are very responsive when they are available. But sometimes, it’s unpredictable.”
The district is now in the process of advertising bids for the project.
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com.