Civil Municipal Magazine - Dec 2023

258 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 12 glass, magnetic doors, and advanced camera systems. Halo Vape Sensors are installed in school restrooms to detect THC vapes, bullying, or any suspicious activity. They send alerts to principals’ cell phones, enabling quick responses to incidents. Catoosa Public Schools has also integrated Sielox a crisis alert system. Nix describes. “Sielox is an incredible device that connects with our cameras. They are motion sensor activated, and they are linked directly to the 911 Center. They have the ability to lock the school down in the event that there was some type of danger around the kids. That is a really, really big piece that we have in every single school.” The Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST) plays a vital role in funding these resources, along with facility upgrades and maintenance. “Our facilities are absolutely incredible,” Nix boasts. “And the reason for it is ESPLOST. What that means is that anybody that buys anything in Catoosa County, one penny of that dollar goes toward our facilities and our capital projects for our school system.” The Future is Bright Looking ahead, Brower remains committed to working with local businesses and community members to create further opportunities for students, which she emphasizes is a win for everyone. Nix remains focused on safety and literacy as his top priorities in the year ahead. “We have to make sure that we’re doing all the things to keep our staff and students safe. And we’ve got to ensure that our kids are reading on grade level. When they’re little they learn to read, because when they’re older, they read to learn,” he concludes. PREFERRED VENDOR/ PARTNER n EMJ Corporation www.emjcorp.com