ORANGE BEACH, Ala. (WPMI) Why did the Baldwin County School superintendent put a halt to security upgrades at Orange Beach Elementary? That's what the mayor and city council are asking.So far the city has paid for upgrades including panic buttons, an I.D. screening system and a school resource officer. Now it has given the police chief the authority to spend close to $12,000 to fortify the school's main entrance.Mayor Tony Kennon says he and other city officials were caught off guard. He says the superintendent told him he doesn't want the school to look like a fortress. Now the mayor is calling for a town hall meeting, saying folks in Orange Beach deserve a face to face explanation from the school board and Superintendent Dr. Alan Lee.Earlier this year Orange Beach Elementary received the Safe School Initiative Award.This is our school and our kids. Why in the world doesn't the school board recognize that, and Dr. Lee recognize that we want to do what need to do and we are paying for it we are not asking them for a dime, said Kennon, who says it seems Dr. Lee is rethinking how to approach the school's security even after agreeing to the city's three phase security plan.Number one was improving video surveillance and monitoring. Number two was to put a police officer in the school and then number three was the fortification of the entry ways, said Kennon.It's the third phase that's hit a snag. Steel security screens were supposed to be installed to protect the school's main entrance along with other doors and some windows.The screening this there. You can shoot through that screening all you want but it's not going to blow a hole big enough to get your hand in to get the door so you cannot get in to the doorway. He would have to crawl in a window, said Kennon.School officials aren't commenting only to say that they want to make sure the latest phase was approved, going through the proper channels.Nobody told us to stop until the first screen went up, said Orange Beach Police Chief Billy Wilkins.The chief and the city's main building official both say they got the approval from the school system's facilities and maintenance coordinator.There was two meetings in particular that the facilities manager was present at and we were very specific and we did talk the second time about the screening material that we were considering using. After that we had numerous conversations with the principal, said Wilkins.Principal Lori Brocato is now on paid administrative leave. Meantime the security screens were supposed to be installed weeks ago. Parents are wondering why not?It might appear like a fortress to some people but as soon as you have somebody come in and attack the children and children die they are going to wish they had done it, said Ryan Owen.Dr. Lee wasn't available for comment Thursday but school board member Angie Swiger says she is looking into all aspects of the approval process.Mayor Kennon says now his attention will turn to pushing for a separate school system. It's something he says he will make a priority in the coming year.
