Copperas Cove ISD approves hiring of new security director

By BRITTANY FHOLER

Cove Leader-Press

The Copperas Cove Independent School District Board of Trustees met Tuesday for their regular meeting, where they approved the purchase of two passenger buses and approved the hiring of a new security director for the district, among other things. 

The board unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included two passenger buses for a total of $308, 855. One bus will be able to seat 77 while the other will be able to seat 54, with a wheelchair lift. 

“Whenever we started buying buses 12 years ago, they were about…I don’t even know if they were $100,000 then,” said CCISD Superintendent Joe Burns. “Since then, the state requires seat belts in buses, and then we equip buses with air conditioning. Everything we buy new has air conditioning and seat belts in it. Now the buses are over $150,000 a piece, so that’s why our price is -we typically budget $250,000 for two buses. We’ve got to squeeze one more juice out of that lemon. This year, those two buses will cost us $308,855, and a special needs bus costs more- the 54-passenger bus costs more than 77-passenger bus. That liftgate adds about $10,000 to a bus.” 

Other purchases included the purchase and installation of a remanufactured engine to replace one that has failed in one of the district’s current fleet of buses, for an amount up to $33,835.13. 

The board also approved replacing the fire panel and fire alarm system at Clements/Parsons Elementary School for a total cost of $237,280.00 using the fund balance. 

“A number of our buildings are older buildings, and the original fire panels are getting to the stage that you can’t buy replacement parts for them where there are panels no longer made,” said Burns. “So our panels are having to be able to be updated. No fire protection service will come in and utilize existing wiring to existing detectors or alarms, so the price is not just the cost of the panel- everything’s got to be rewired.” 

The district completed the process at S.C. Lee Junior High School over the summer, he added. 

The board also approved the hiring of James Saint to the role of Director of Safety and Security. 

The district has a school marshal on each campus, in compliance with state law requiring an armed officer on every campus. 

With the implementation of school marshals, the district has had to hire a security director, but that person is leaving the district at the end of the month, Burns said. 

Saint comes from Weatherford ISD, where he served as the Director of Safety and Security. 

“He has extensive knowledge about School Marshal programs, School Guardian programs, the use of SROs, emergency operation planning, all those things,” Burns said. “Including the pretty rigorous interview process, along with other candidates that we interviewed, he was the most outstanding candidate that we had.”

Saint is expected to start after October 1.