JERRY CITY — While admitting it was a well-designed tool, Elmwood school board members at this time are
not in favor of installing the Boot in their school.
The Boot is an interior door security device installed on each classroom door that can be activated in
seconds by slipping it into a notch attached to the door.
Otsego and Bowling Green schools have had the device installed, along with the wall placards identifying
room numbers.
“I don’t think our building is particularly set up for it,” said board President Brian King. “I support
the device. But our building is not designed for that kind of device.”
It would cost $43,000 to install 160 Boots plus placards in the building.
Board member Ryan Lee said he has seen research that shows the Boot is not the answer to Elmwood’s
problem, and that youngsters see more of a threat at the mall or a movie theater than at a school.
“I’m not supportive of this today,” he said.
The Boot’s rectangular-shaped steel plate has two steel pegs and is mounted on the bottom of a classroom
door. Two holes are drilled into the floor, and when the steel pegs are lowered into those holes, the
door cannot be opened.
The strength of a door is its frame, and the Boot pins the door into the frame. A door with the Boot,
which weighs 4.89 pounds, will withstand 16,000 pounds of pressure and will not give way.
Superintendent Tony Borton pointed out the Boot has the support of Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn.
“It’s either this one or none.”
He add that the school’s PTO is in favor of the device.
Ryan pointed out it is the board’s responsibility to talk about risk and responsibilities, but King added
they needed to look at the risk of something happening and make a rational decision.
“This is not the right choice for us,” King said. “There is a cost factor, but if I believed this was the
right thing to do, I’d find a way to fund it.”
He added that the district has to continue to be proactive, and identify a potential threat, rather than
be reactive if something happens.
Ryan said the district’s first priority should be changing the entrances. Now, anyone can buzz in and
have immediate access to the entire building.
Borton also shared that many of the mass shootings in schools happen in a common area, like a cafeteria.

“It can’t stop the carnage, it will minimize it,” he said about the Boot, adding “I’m on the fence.”
Borton will meet with the district’s safety committee to continue discussing the issue.
The board also questioned the 2017-18 calendar, which has parent/teacher conferences the week of
Thanksgiving break. Concerns addressed included that the conferences were happening too late in the
quarter, and families may leave town for the week.
But the majority of union members wanted those days, Borton said.
He and principals will do an attendance analysis after the event to determine if fewer parents attended
than this year, when conferences were held Nov. 7-8.
The board also accepted 36 new LCD monitors, valued around $3,500, from First Solar; and accepted the
retirements of Ray Getter, high school special education teacher, Dave Wellman, director of student
services, and Candace Meyers, elementary special education teacher.