Bids are being accepted by Roanoke County Schools for renovations at W.E. Cundiff Elementary School in Vinton, which will improve the security of the school.

According to George Assaid, Director of Facilities and Operations for Roanoke County Schools, WEC was built in 1972 featuring an open concept floor plan. Over the past several years, the school system has implemented security features at Cundiff, including constructing a new front entrance to create a vestibule where visitors must sign in and then be permitted into the office area, additional cameras, and more secure exterior doors.

The current project now advertised for bids continues safety upgrades by replacing old interior doors with steel door frames and solid doors, improved door hardware and more secure panels within the interior classroom spaces. These are not major projects or renovations. These are measures to further enhance safety and security, based upon recommendations from the safety and security task force.

“The scope of the project is to provide secure entrances into each pod,” said Assaid. “At each pod entrance, steel frames with solid core doors and bullet resistant panels will be installed. Additionally, there are some interior glass walls with drywall backing that will be changed out to bullet resistant panels. The interior of the building will mostly remain unchanged, with the exception of the new doors and frames installed in the currently open pod entrances.  Security is enhanced by the creation of an interior secure perimeter and will hinder an intruder from directly accessing the open pods from the corridors.”