MONTGOMERY – New security cameras and entry card access system will be arriving soon at Montgomery School District. The School board announced that the district will now use swipe cards for entry access to the elementary, middle and high school buildings located on Penn Street. Installation is scheduled for this school year by Stanley Security Systems. It will be a centralized card access system for a total of $3,953. When entering the building, the cards will act as keys tied to a computerized system explained Superintendent, Daphne Ross.

“Card entry monitoring is needed to let officials know who’s in the building and when,” she said. State police did a site tour earlier this year and advised the school district to get more cameras.

Installation of the cameras will cost a little over $60,000 which include upgrades to five existing cameras plus 39 new ones.

After being approved by the school board, both security projects, including the cameras and cards, will be paid from the capital’s reserve fund, which already allows expenditures through this year’s budget.

“We feel that the decisions and cuts to our budget that we worked through in June as part of the regular budget process have prepared us for this year’s difficulties with education funding, so we are ready to start the school year,” Ross explained when asked about this year’s budget.

Board members also approved numerous new hires for the upcoming school year.

They are the appointments of Mrs. Danielle Hack, seventh-grade mathematics teacher; Mrs. Rae Ann Temple, 2nd grade elementary teacher; Mrs. Nancy Bashista, full-time pre-kindergarten aide; Mr. Todd Wright, maintenance/custodial supervisor and Mr. R. John Cloud, full-time library aide.

Approved long-term substitutes for the first nine weeks of the school year are Jeanne Willis, pre-kindergarten and also Renee Kennedy, fifth grade.

The board also accepted the resignations of Jessica Rhodes, high school teacher’s aide; and Rae Ann Temple, elementary instructional aide.