Jack Meltzer, Consultant Program Manager at Gallagher Security, argues that an integral part of the solution to America’s growing education challenges lies within existing security systems.

Safety in schools

Schools and universities have never been as invested in security as they are today.

Protective measures ranging from security guards to metal detectors have become such commonplace fixtures that school security has ballooned into a $3.1 billion industry, with an expected growth rate of 8% year on year, according to CNBC.

Among these solutions, by far the most common investments are aligned with enterprise-level security systems.

For example, a recent Pew Research study of K-12 public schools in the US found that 97% had some form of building access control for external doors with 73% extending to internal doors.

A further 91% had security cameras installed, 40% had panic buttons and seven in ten had an electronic notification system for automatically contacting parents in the event of an emergency.

It’s a clear indication that the fear of violence drapes a constant veil of anxiety over our nation’s classrooms.

However, if you talk to educators at any level, they’ll tell you the threat of violence is far from the only stressor affecting our educational institutions – many of which are having a greater impact on their ability to teach.

Unprecedented challenges

The challenges educators face today are unlike those of the past and they’re changing the way schools and universities operate.

For example, when vaping replaced cigarettes as the temptation of choice for middle and high school students, the CDC says, it became harder to detect and maintain healthy schools.

The Ohio State University found that following the COVID-19 pandemic, rising rates of anxiety, depression and burnout among students increased the need for mental health services on college campuses.

Lamar University also says that universities have become prime targets for cyber-attacks, including ransomware, phishing and data breaches.

A paper published in Heliyon says that the introduction of AI in education raises concerns about data privacy and ethical usage.

And so on and so on.

There’s mounting pressure to modernize our educational institutions in line with rapid social and technological changes.

But as many educators will tell you, keeping up is often stymied by red tape, budget constraints and skills shortages.

What if security is part of the answer?

What if the solution to many of these problems is already in place?

Can schools’ existing security systems transcend their protective function and actively enhance the educational environment?

Unlocking health benefits

Metcalfe County Schools in Kentucky believe so.

Schools across the country face a vaping problem, but according to one 2021 report, Kentucky students are vaping at higher rates than the national average.

To solve the problem in their district, Metcalfe County Schools turned to their security system.

Designed to detect factors affecting air quality, like carbon monoxide and particulate matter, the HALO Smart Sensor also detects vaping aerosols.

By integrating the sensors with their existing security system, Metcalfe administrators began receiving alerts with a precise location where vaping on school grounds was detected.

These sensors were installed at the start of the 2022-2023 school year and immediately helped Metcalfe dramatically reduce instances of vaping, an achievement they credit to tracking air quality alarms through their security system.

Unlocking cost savings

A similar air quality alert from their security system also gave Metcalfe an early warning of a pending HVAC malfunction before it became a bigger problem.

This not only saved the district money on costly repairs, but also created healthier classrooms for those with asthma and allergies, which top the Kentucky Department of Education’s 2021-2022 list of chronic health conditions among students.

Unlocking learning opportunities

However, reducing vaping and improving air quality is just the start – security system integrations like the HALO sensor can also be a powerful educational tool, too.

As HALO sensors produce reports on the specific chemical compounds present in the air, Metcalfe educators have a tool for fighting misconceptions about the safety of vaping on their hands.

With a report from Reach Evaluation finding that 13% of Kentucky students report their first vaping experience in the 8th grade, it’s an early opportunity to educate middle school students on the dangers before temptation comes their way.

This amount of visibility and information has helped Metcalfe’s teachers and administrators significantly reduce vaping, save money on costly HVAC repairs and be empowered to educate students – all through their security system.

Unlocking the student experience

K-12 schools aren’t the only institutions unlocking new benefits from their security systems.

Universities are improving the student experience, gaining administrative efficiencies and strengthening privacy and cybersecurity through features like mobile credentials.

ID cards, which have been used for everything from storing meal plans to accessing dorm rooms, can be easily lost or stolen.

Each time that happens, the security of dormitories, restricted spaces and students’ personal information are compromised.

Instead, mobile credentials stored securely on a smartphone (which is less likely to be misplaced) dramatically reduce those risks, not to mention the burden and cost of reissuing lost cards.

If a phone does go missing or is stolen, remotely deactivating the student’s credentials is a quick and easy fix.

Adding in smartphone providers’ own built-in operating system protections, the layers of security stack up to fortify students’ devices – and thus privacy and security – beyond the basics.

Unlocking more

Security is capable of unlocking so much more for schools and universities and with many already having the right systems in place, ironically, all it may take to change the face of education is a greater education of what’s possible.

This article was originally published in the December edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.