18A:7G-5.2 Public school facilities, certain, security measures required.

1. a. In the case of new school construction undertaken by a district or the development authority, in addition to the Best Practices Standards for Schools under Construction or Being Planned for Construction set forth by the Department of Community Affairs, the district or the development authority, as applicable, shall provide in the architectural design for the new construction that:

(1) wherever possible, a building site shall be chosen with adequate space to accommodate bus and vehicular traffic separately and permit additional space for the proper evacuation of occupants;

(2) wherever possible, bus drop-off/pick-up areas shall be separated from other vehicular drop-off/pick-up areas;

(3) wherever possible, pedestrian routes shall be separated from vehicular routes, and crossing of the two shall be minimized;

(4) the number of anterior doors shall be kept to a minimum as necessary to satisfy operational considerations and meet code requirements, and wherever possible exterior door hardware shall be eliminated from doors that are intended only for emergency egress;

(5) there is a single public entrance to be used during the school day which shall be equipped with a security vestibule with interior doors that must be released by school security or other staff. The district or development authority shall give consideration to providing bullet resistant glazing in the interior vestibule doors and windows;

(6) all marked entrances shall conform to a uniform numbering system in order to assist emergency responders in locating particular areas. The principal's office shall have a secondary exit;

(7) interior door locks on spaces that will serve as safe havens during lockdowns shall have a keyless locking mechanism;

(8) new school buildings shall be provided with access control systems which allow for remote locking and unlocking of all building access doors; and

(9) new school buildings shall be designed and built in such a manner that areas intended for public use may be separated and secured from all other areas.

b. In the case of new school construction undertaken by a district or the development authority, and in the case of existing school buildings, a district or the development authority, as applicable, shall:

(1) employ the Crime Prevention through Environmental Design principles;

(2) require security personnel to be in uniform;

(3) make driveways one way, if possible, that lead to a clearly marked visitor parking area. STOP signs and other traffic calming devices shall be used to keep vehicles at a reasonable speed;

(4) place bollards along the roadway or curb line in front of the school to prevent vehicles from gaining access to exterior walls, windows, and doors, or in areas of the property where vehicles are prohibited;

(5) clearly mark the school's main entrance and make it easily visible and recognizable;

(6) limit the number of doors for access by staff;

(7) lock exterior doors, and when they are in use for a large entry/exit provide that they are staffed and monitored;

(8) utilize an access control system with remote unlocking features, an intercom, and fixed cameras at the school's main entrance and for other entrances as funding permits;

(9) clearly mark all entrances with a numerical sequence to allow for specific response by police, fire, and emergency medical services responders;

(10) maintain a parking decal or tag system for all staff and students who park on campus in order to easily identify unauthorized vehicles on the property;

(11) locate enclosures for utilities that are outside a school building away from the building to ensure that they do not provide roof access;

(12) provide adequate and properly maintained lighting around the buildings and parking lots;

(13) if funding, staffing, and site approval are possible, provide a guard shack and gate on the school campus as an effective perimeter control;

(14) where the footprint of the school allows, and if funding is available, create secure vestibules at the main entrance of the school building. The exterior door entrance to the school shall allow access by a visitor only to the vestibule and the doors to the remainder of the building shall be locked;

(15) adopt school district policies and procedures to clearly indicate that propping open doors is strictly prohibited, and that students and staff shall not open a door for anyone. All persons seeking entry to the building shall be directed to the main entrance;

(16) use surveillance cameras as a target-hardening tool;

(17) provide a dedicated server and generator for security systems, such as access control and surveillance cameras, in order to secure information and ensure efficient operation in an emergency;

(18) use ballistic or shatter resistant film for glass entrance door sidelights and other vulnerable first floor areas; and

(19) maintain a strict key distribution protocol that requires staff to sign for keys and return them at the end of each school year.

c. The commissioner, in consultation with the development authority, may revise the architectural design standards for new school construction established pursuant to subsection a. of this section and the standards for new school construction and existing school buildings established pursuant to subsection b. of this section, to reflect new recommendations or changes in best practices for school security.

L.2016, c.79, s.1.