Safety Improvements

Recent safety capital improvement projects have enhanced staff and student safety. Lockdown shades, fencing, seismic retrofits, and building access control improvements have taken place at selected sites, and visitor management systems have been instituted at all schools.

Safety drills (such as earthquake, lockdown, fire) are performed monthly at all schools and documented for regulatory compliance per RCW 28A.320.125. In-person safety training was delivered at each district/school site in 2016 to provide updates for response and prevention best practices. Each school has pre-identified off-site emergency locations reviewed annually, and relationships with disaster agencies, such as The Red Cross, are pre-established for regional disasters.

In 2013, the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) awarded Bellingham Public Schools (BPS) a $439,000 grant to help it install new emergency response systems. These systems will decrease the time it takes for police and other first responders to arrive and respond to incidents and emergencies at schools.The new systems will provide a direct line of communication with law enforcement personnel and provide them incident and facility information so they are better able to respond in the event of an emergency. These systems were installed the 2014-15 school year.

BPS hired Educational Service District (ESD) 112 to conduct a districtwide safety and security assessment of all of our facilities. The purpose of the assessment was to identify other safety and security improvement measures (such as installation of interior and exterior access control systems, intrusion detection systems, video camera systems, internal and external communications systems, site control measures, site illumination/lighting, etc.) that can be implemented using funds that were approved as part of the 2013 bond measure. Some of these other safety and security improvements were installed already while others will be installed prior to 2019.

 

Districtwide Improvements by School

Projects completed since 2013 bond

Alderwood – Overlay asphalt; DDC controls expanded; design for wall/window system in office; new paint on siding and fascia boards; new paint in some classrooms; some gym roof shingles replaced; exterior window walls replaced and new windows installed;

Bellingham – Replacement of actuator system; cooling tower heat exchanger; new siding on portables; exterior painted; exterior lights retrofit; interior commons lighting retrofit to LEDs; new DDC-HVAC system; installation of variable frequency drives at circulation pumps

Carl Cozier – Overlay asphalt walkways; lighting retrofit; new carpet in some classrooms; new paint on exterior; new paint in some classrooms; new paint on interior doors; office reconfiguration; abatement; remove and replace shingles on main building and play shed

Columbia – Overlay asphalt walkway/garden shed area; rain garden and bike rack; new paint on stucco and fascia boards; new paint on interior doors, cafeteria and stage

Fairhaven – Vinyl and carpet replacement for corridors and ramp; new paint on exterior

Family Partnership Program – DDC temperature controls; controls for radiators

Geneva – Light fixture replacement; new siding on portables,

Kulshan – New carpet in some classrooms rooms; DDC upgrade for portables; new paint on fascia board; remove and replace some roof shingles; convert classroom to science lab

Lowell – Ramp refinishing, new retaining wall, new windows lower level

Northern Heights – HVAC-DDC controls retrofit,

Parkview – Asphalt paving; remove and replace roof shingles

Roosevelt – Bus lane paved; HVAC-DDC controls retrofit; replace heat pumps; electric circuit work; new gym floor; new roof shingles; site drainage improvements

Silver Beach – Furnace replacement; new carpet throughout

Shuksan – Convert common space to general purpose room and nook to small office

Sunnyland – Overlay asphalt southern play area; playground painting on new asphalt; new vinyl in corridors; design for ADA parking; new paint on window trim and downspouts; new paint in gym and some classrooms; new siding on portables; office/entrance renovation

Squalicum – New paint in some classrooms and boys’ locker rooms; convert classroom to science lab; main office reconfiguration; sky roof replacement

Wade King – Sprinkler system in pump house

Whatcom – New siding on portables; new shingles on shop and gym roof

Warehouse – New membrane roof on warehouse

Alderwood Early Childhood Center – Connect roof drains to storm drain system

Silver Beach Annex – Window trim, soffits, fascia and exterior doors painted; new roof shingles

Portables placed at Bellingham, Columbia, Fairhaven, Family Partnership Program, Happy Valley and Whatcom

 

ADA – Americans with Disability Act

DDC – Direct Digital Control

HVAC – Heating, ventilation and air conditioning