California school district combines door security with accessibility.

May 1, 1999 12:00 PM, Access Control & Security Systems Integration Staff

The simplest solutions are often the best. That's what the San Juan Unified School District is finding out as it upgrades classroom locks and related door hardware.

By eliminating levers or knobs and installing exit devices inside the classrooms, school officials have reduced hardware damage and improved security.The Carmichael, Calif.-based school district near Sacramento was formed when smaller districts were unified in the 1960s. With 79 schools and 1,105 buildings, lack of door hardware standardization was a problem before the upgrade. Maintaining a stock of spare parts was costly. Often, locksmiths would make their first visits to problem sites without the right parts.Key control was also becoming a serious issue. Some systems inherited from the original districts had to be re-keyed with every new principal. It was hard to track keys because they could be easily duplicated.

Another problem was the cost of repairing and replacing damaged door hardware, resulting from frequency of operation and rough usage.

Locking down solution As part of a modernization program, school officials are controlling these problems by standardizing the door lock systems with a high-security cylinder system, eliminating most exterior trim and installing exit devices that can be locked down with a key from inside the classrooms, which effectively leaves the door open to be used on a push-bull basis.

Maintenance and operations for San Juan schools are centralized, with the door hardware and locks managed by two full-time locksmiths. While most of the re-keying and hardware upgrades are being implemented by a contractor, the locksmiths are responsible for coordinating the key schedules and the factory keying program, according to school locksmith Rick Garibay.All of the school system's doors now use the Primus high-security cylinder system by Schlage, San Francisco. The system features a specially designed key available only from the manufacturer by authorized signature, he says. The district operates at Security Level 3, which means the keys cannot be duplicated. The Schlage factory maintains control of the key system.The manufacturer supplies key blanks only to the locksmith department, which keeps the keys and cylinders in stock, Garibay says. Keys are cut as needed.

Exit devicesprovide safety To prevent vandalism and provide safe egress, 98 Series exit devices with push-bars by Indianapolis-based Von Duprin are used inside classroom doors."We were having problems with damage to lever trims, so we now use only a key and pull handle on the outside," Garibay says. "The locked door can only be opened by a key, and there is no functional trim outside to get damaged."Inside, the exit device keeps the door secure and locked when necessary and allows safe egress from the classroom in an emergency.During normal class hours, the devices are locked down for push/pull operation. But the teachers can lock their rooms from the inside by using the door key to release the latch that locks the panic bar down, effectively leaving the door open.Previously, they had to go outside the classrooms to reach the lock cylinders. Primus cylinders are used on all exterior locks, but standard Schlage cylinders in the Von Duprin exit devices can be locked and unlocked using the same key.

Modernizationprogram goes on Launched five years ago with nine schools, the district's modernization program has continued through a second and third phase to include 39 schools. Funding for an additional 37 schools was recently secured through a successful general obligation election. It will carry the upgraded standardization process to completion.

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