School sites in Manteca Unified will have an opportunity to examine a product called Door Blok as  one possible way to promote a safe learning and working environment for students and staff.

Superintendent Jason Messer told members of the Board of Trustees at their last meeting that they have some of this product on order so that the various campus sites will be able to evaluate them and then decide if they want them for their schools.

According to the flyer shown to the board at the meeting, the Door Blok is “in use on more than 50,000 classroom doors.” One benefit cited is that it enables students to enter or exit the classroom without disturbing the others.

It also makes entry to classrooms easier for physically challenged students.

The topic about doors was one of the 10 safety and security focus points discussed by the superintendent in his report to the board. First and foremost, the goal of the board is to promote “a culturally proficient, safe learning and working environment,” followed by academic achievement, Messer said.

The other safety focus areas included issues concerning the use of surveillance cameras in the schools, an alarm-warning system, inter-agency partnerships between the schools and police departments, instituting drills on how to respond in the event an active shooter is in the vicinity, a “tip program” that is somewhat akin to Crime Stoppers without the reward but would allow anonymous calls, and the use of cell phones by students on campus. All schools in the district have security and safety plans in place, but they still have room for improvements, Messer said.