New Dorchester High School adds new security measures

The new North Dorchester High School is implementing security features that could likely make it one of the most secure schools on Delmarva by the fall of 2019. 

"The security features in the new building are going to be a combination of tried-and-true strategies along with some newer strategies that technology supports," said Chris Hauge, the Dorchester County Schools facilities engineer. 

According to Hauge, new security measures include having only one main entrance that stands at a safe distance from all the classrooms. 

"The new building having one point of access and a point of control where we can verify visitors to our building before they go anywhere else in the building is something that North Dorchester High School has been limited in their capacity to be able to do in the existing facility," said Hauge.

In addition, classrooms will be equipped with direct 911 dial capabilities and support lockdown measures.

Hauge also said part of the inspiration behind these improvements is to help avoid the possibility of a mass shooting. 

"We hope that these things never happen in our community, but we want to be prepared in case they do," said Hauge.

"In an emergency situation our primary focus is to make sure that our students and staff are safe."

He said once this new school is in operation, there will be a year's worth of additional construction to demolish the old school. 

Security measures aren't the only things being added to the school. Geothermal technology will also be implemented to replace the schools HVAC system. 

For the past 15 years, Dorchester County Schools officials say hundreds of thousands of dollars have been saved thanks to the green technology.

The system allows school facilities to both heat and cool the building simultaneously without using fossil fuel on site, according to Hauge.

The technology requires much less energy than conventional heating and cooling systems.

"And so there's just a lot attributes that make the new school much more effective as an instruction platform than the old school."