Parents of Grayson County Middle School students received a call early Monday morning informing them access to the school would now be monitored.

In order to enter the middle school parents and visitors must ring a buzzer that will allow the front office to keep track of who is entering the building.

The security systems installed are part of the scheduled county-wide changes the Grayson County Board of Education has planned for the schools.

The middle school is the first school to have the new security system operational. All but two of the Grayson County facilities are scheduled to have the security system installed.

“The board decided earlier in the year to install this safety measure in the schools,” said Grayson County Board of Education Superintendent Barry Anderson. “We are tasked with not only educating our students but also with keeping them safe.

“Student security is important to the board members. We have cameras on all our busses and now we have this safety measure in our schools,” added Anderson.

The board plans to install the security system on all but two schools.

Caneyville Elementary is a new campus and was designed to limit visitor access.

All visitors must enter the school through the office before going to any other area.

Clarkson Elementary school will be getting a new building in the near future, that will be designed much like the facility in Caneyville.

The high school has the program installed but remains non-operational at the moment.

One of the monitors used in the security system was not working properly and needed to be replaced.

The high school has taken several steps to limit people wandering through the halls this year.

There were 64 cameras installed throughout the campus of the high school.

In addition to the cameras when a visitor comes to the school he must be escorted by a faculty member and the students are only allowed to enter the school through one entrance.

“Just like improving test scores, safety is a top concern for our students,” said Grayson County High School Principal Doug Robinson.

Middle School Principal Jim Blain has received praise for the increased security and even the faculty is not upset with the extra work.

“This is a good thing,” said receptionist/secretary Viola Williams when asked about the new program and the extra work that will be involved.

“It is just part of our day and we need to do anything that keeps our kids safe.”

Parents will be encouraged by the fact the building in which their the children spent the better part of their week in will be just a little safer.

Raymond Ashlock dropped off homework for his son used the security door for the first time and said, “ This is interesting. It is the first time I have used it.”

“This is a good thing,” said one father of two middle school children Leon Calvert.

“The security of our kids is important.”