New fence surrounding Waynesville Middle School aimed at security

Apr. 20—A quarter-mile long fence will soon surround Waynesville Middle School in an effort to provide additional security for students.

"Having been principal there previously, I think, in a sense, it would put me at ease," said Graham Haynes, Haywood County Schools assistant superintendent.

The fence won't be chain link, but rather black steel bars that look almost like wrought-iron, with intermittent stone columns.

"We in no way want it to seem like a prison, but we also want to make our campus as secure as it can possibly be," Haynes said.

Waynesville Middle will be unique among elementary and middle schools in Haywood County as the only one with a fenced-in campus. That's due to its location smack in the middle of town.

"It is in more of an urban setting if you will," Haynes said. "There is more foot traffic because of that urban setting. And it's right on the road, not set back like a lot of our other campuses."

Waynesville Police are aware of the high foot traffic around Waynesville Middle, said Assistant Police Chief Brandon Gilmore. Police also have concerns about the school proximity to neighborhoods — in most cases, no barriers exist between private homes and the campus. In addition, police periodically investigate after-hours vandalism at the school.

Waynesville Middle's School Resource Officer Dave Clancy has advocated for a fence for several years, Gilmore added.

"It's just a better means of securing the campus and knowing who is coming and going," Gilmore said.

In addition to the sidewalks directly abutting campus, the railroad tracks running by the school are often used as a pedestrian corridor.

"There are also lots of houses, apartments and businesses very close by," Haynes said. "The fence enclosing campus will ensure nobody would be able to travel through campus that's not supposed to."

Exacerbating its urban setting, Waynesville Middle School is highly permeable, with many points where nonstudents can simply walk onto campus. Stand-alone buildings sprawl across the grounds, each with multiple sets of doors.

While the majority are locked on the outside, students have to move between the buildings throughout the day — so some doors must remain accessible from the outside.

"It's a challenge because our schools were built during a different era. They are really spread out," Haynes said. And, "there's a lot of doors."

Schools being designed today — in the era of school shootings and lock-down drills — usually limit entrance and exit to a central point.

The fence will also ensure that students don't find their way into a dangerous situation by walking out into the street or surrounding communities. No specific incident prompted the decision for the fence, Haynes said.

"We always try to evaluate our campuses and try to increase security measures whenever possible," he said. "That's one campus that we feel like could use a fence. We've got grant money available to do it, so we're going to do it."

Waynesville Middle Principal Maggie King said ways to improve student safety is continually being studied.

"Learning practices and student safety are two things I never want to grow complacent in reviewing," King said. "I am thankful that funding has allowed us to add a layer of security to our centrally located campus."

Design and logistics

The fence will cost $127,000, funds that will come from a N.C. Department of Public Instruction School Safety Grant. It will be black steel fencing with stone columns throughout, similar to what is currently at Pisgah Memorial Stadium in Canton. The fence will stand at 6 feet tall.

"It's a lot of space, and it is a nice fence," Haynes said. "I think it will look nice."

The fence design will help preserve the feel of the school, while also enhancing campus security, Haynes said.

The 1,746 feet of fencing will wrap from the old gym (on the right side of the school near the football field entrance), run along Brown Avenue, and the turn up the street, ending behind the cafeteria. Gates along the fence will be locked during the day, but teachers, as well as emergency personnel, will still be able to enter and exit if needed.

The front entrance loop will not be fenced in, however, as the entrance to the school is already secured with locked doors and buzzers.

"It will encompass the front and the side of the property that goes up Balsam Drive," Haynes said. "It will tie into the buildings in the most efficient way to do fencing."

The backside of the school is already secure by a wall and fencing.

Leaving the front loop out of the fencing will also allow dismissals and arrivals and early pickups by parents to operate much as they do now.

It will also not affect football games, as it will not block off the front entrance to C.E. Weatherby Stadium, and the back entrance is already fenced in.

There is currently no timetable on when construction of the fence will begin or when it may be complete. Fencescapes, a contractor out of Asheville, was awarded the contract as the lowest bidder.