CAMDEN — The Preble Shawnee Board of Education met Wednesday, Dec. 14, and discussed school safety and 2023 meetings.

Superintendent Todd Bowling informed the board that Preble Shawnee joined all other schools in the county in going unselected for the grant money from the OFCC School Safety Grant, an initiative passed by the Governor to update school safety functions. Bowling assured the board, though Preble Shawnee was awarded no money this time around, they will apply again at the next available opportunity.

Bowling expressed Preble Shawnee has already commenced security updates at the elementary location, but now looks to begin safety updates at the high school as early as summer 2023.

“We’ve got to get this building to be safe and locked down,” said Bowling, “I’ve met with the Chief of Police in Camden and with the Preble County Sheriff. We walked the building and looked at numbering windows on the outside and numbering the stairwells, everything we need to get the building in a safe place.”

Bowling is currently working on pricing for further safety upgrades, including advanced door locks which are capable of “locking down” every door in the school simultaneously. Four of these advanced door systems have already been installed at the elementary location.

Bowling stressed, Preble Shawnee’s foremost concern is protecting its student body, both from exterior and interior threats.

In other business:

• PSLEA donated 13 turkeys to families within the district for Thanksgiving.

• According to Bowling, 25-30 Bags of Hope were distributed to Preble Shawnee families, as a part of the Bags of Hope Program through National Trail. Bowling thanked staff and students for their personal contributions and charitable donations for those in need in the district.

• The Preble Shawnee Board of Education will meet Thursday, Jan. 12, for their yearly organizational meeting, at 6 p.m.