The Wilson County School District voted unanimously to approve shatter-resistant glass films to be installed at each of its 24 brick-and-mortar campuses.
On Monday, board members Kimberly McGee, Larry Tomlinson, Carrie Pfeiffer, Jamie Farough, Melissa Lynn, Joseph Padilla, and Beth Meyers all voted to approve Director of Schools Jeff Luttrell’s recommendation that the board hire Osteen Construction to install the security film for a total of $900,105.36.
Osteen Construction’s quote to install the film at each school was the lowest price out of the five total quotes received for the job.
Last year, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a bill that requires public school buildings and charter school buildings constructed or remodeled after July 1, 2023 to, among others, “Have installed a clear, bullet-resistant or entry-resistant film on the glass panel of each exterior entry or basement level window and door to prevent individuals from entering the school building without authorization by breaking the glass in an exterior entry or basement level window or door.”
According to WKRN, the process to install shatter-resistant film on all campuses in the Wilson County School District is expected to take approximately six to eight months and will begin this summer.
Bart Barker, public information officer for Wilson County Schools, told WKRN that the installation of the glass films will not be the last measure taken by the school district regarding safety.
“We’re never going to stop finding ways to build on what we already have to keep our entire school community safe on campus. It will never stop,” Barker said.
He added, “When we add these things, it’s not necessarily because of something that’s happened directly to us, it’s something that we want to incorporate to ensure that we can keep moving forward in the safest environment possible.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
