CENTER GROVE SAFETY & SECURITY

  CENTEGIX ALERT SYSTEM

Center Grove has installed the Centegix Crisis Response Solution in every building in the corporation. The system includes wearable badges with an emergency button. All Center Grove employees in every building carry a Centegix badge. CGCSC utilized the 2021 Indiana School Safety Grant to help fund this project. 

How Centegix Works

• When the Centegix Badge is pressed three times, administrators and others on the building's crisis response team are notified immediately.  If the employee keeps clicking the badge, CGPD is also notified. 
• Audio and visual notifications are sent facility-wide using colored strobe lights, desktop alerts, and building intercoms.
  • Strobe lights are installed in classrooms, offices, hallways, gymnasiums, and cafeterias.
• The entire building is placed on lockdown instantly.
• CGPD and the Emergency Operations Center utilize software that can track the badge that was pressed as it moves throughout the building, ensuring they can respond precisely to the location of the emergency.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER

The Center Grove Emergency Operations Center is located at 2309 South Morgantown Road, Greenwood, just north of Center Grove Elementary School. The facility is a joint venture between Center Grove Schools, White River Township Fire Department, and Bargersville Community Fire Department. It is home to Fire Station 254, which is staffed 24/7 by both the White River Township and the Bargersville Community Fire Departments. The facility includes space for headquarters and live monitoring for the Center Grove Police Department and a substation for the Johnson County Sheriff's Department. Construction on the project began in December 2020 and was completed in January 2022.  

Emergency Operations Center Dedication

GREENWOOD, IN (January 27, 2022) – Center Grove Community School Corporation (CGCSC) hosted a Ribbon Cutting and Open House for its new Center Grove Emergency Operations Center on Thursday, January 27 at 10:00 a.m. The Emergency Operations Center includes the headquarters and live monitoring space for the Center Grove Police Department and a full-service fire station, Station 254, shared between the White River Township and Bargersville Fire Departments. The facility also has space for a Johnson County Sheriff's Department satellite office.

The ceremony began with students from the Center Grove Elementary School Student Council leading the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. The Star-Spangled Banner was then sung by the Center Grove Middle School Central 8^th Grade Concert Choir.

“This facility is here because those of us responsible for the safety and education of our community’s children want to make sure we are doing everything we can to protect them while they are in our care,” Rich Arkanoff, CGCSC Superintendent told the crowd. “Today, we become one of the first in the country to forge a partnership with three community agencies to better serve our students and our community. This project would not have happened without the vision and hard work of everyone involved, including our Center Grove team, the White River Township Fire Department, the Bargersville Community Fire Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department.

“I am incredibly proud of the teamwork put in by all of these agencies to make this happen,” said Chief Ray Jackson, Center Grove Police Department. “This facility gives us the ability to both shorten our response time and to provide live monitoring of our 700 cameras, which are big steps forward in improving the safety of our campuses.”

“Across the state of Indiana, people are going to look at this as a model, quite frankly, across the nation,” said Indiana State Senator Rodric Bray. “People are going to look at what collaboration and cooperation can do for everybody across all jurisdictions and disciplines. So, well done. People will be watching this for a long time in the future.”  

“This is the most impressive collaboration that I have seen among true leaders,” said Chief Jeremy Pell, White River Township Fire Department. “To set aside all of the reasons why we can’t do something, put in the hard work, and get it done in a way that puts these heroes in the right place, at the right time, with the right equipment to make a long-term impact on somebody’s life. And that’s what we’re seeing here today.”

“Today is one of the most exciting days of my career,” said Chief Eric Funkhouser, Bargersville Community Fire Department. “A chance to be able to work together on a project like this, to put our heads together and come up with something as exciting as what you’re seeing today, is just awesome to see.”

The new facility is located at 2309 South Morgantown Road, Greenwood. It is just north of CGCSC’s main campus, which includes Center Grove Elementary, Center Grove Middle School Central, Center Grove High School, the CGCSC Education Service Center, Technology Center, Innovation Center, Wellness Center, and several athletic facilities.

  CGCSC FACILITY TESTING

Center Grove Community School Corporation conducts testing in our school buildings to ensure the quality of the air and water are within recommended limits. While many of these tests are not required by the state of Indiana, CGCSC contracts with certified testing companies to ensure our facilities meet our high standards for safety and quality. 

TESTS CONDUCTED

• Asbestos
  • The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) requires schools to test every six months for asbestos exposure in buildings that were built using the materials. Notice of this testing must be published once a year.
  • Center Grove includes the AHERA notification in each student handbook. It is also available at this link.
  • Most buildings constructed after 1978 do not contain asbestos. In Center Grove, buildings that were built without asbestos include Pleasant Grove Elementary, Sugar Grove Elementary, Center Grove Middle School North, Maple Grove Elementary School, Walnut Grove Elementary School. 
  • All other schools are tested twice a year, in April and October. 
  • Additional information on asbestos in schools is available from the EPA at this link.
• Lead & Copper
  • State and federal laws do not require schools that purchase water from a Public Water System to test for lead. The Safe Drinking Water Act’s Lead and Copper Rule requires Public Water Systems to sample for lead at single-family dwellings. 
  • Center Grove conducted tests for lead and copper levels in all schools in March of 2016. All tests came back under the levels that require mitigation. Additional tests were conducted in 2020 and are linked in the database below as they are completed. 
  • Additional information on Lead and Copper in drinking water in schools is available from the EPA at this link.
• Radon
  • State and federal laws do not require schools to test for radon. 
  • Center Grove conducted tests for Radon in all schools in May of 2012. All tests came back under the levels that require mitigation. 
  • Additional information on Radon is available from the EPA at this link.

The database below will be updated as new tests are performed. 

  LIGHTNING DETECTION

Center Grove invested in "Thorguard" lightning detection systems to protect students, staff, and visitors to all of our campuses. The systems include a sensor that scans a 2.5 mile radius in the sky for the potential to produce lightning.

• If a lightning threat is detected, a strobe flashes and an air horn sounds. The tone is 113 decibels and sounds for 15 seconds. Click this link to hear the horn at Middle School North.
• The strobes continue to flash until the threat has dropped below the danger threshold for five minutes.
• Once the threat is below the danger threshold, the horn will sound again to give the all-clear.  

The system installed at Center Grove High School covers the entire main campus located along Stones Crossing Road, including the high school sports fields, Middle School Central's campus, Center Grove Elementary, Emergency Operations Center, and Education Service Center.  A second system at Middle School North (pictured) cover that campus, along with Pleasant Grove Elementary and Sugar Grove Elementary. The buildings not covered by those systems, North Grove Elementary, Maple Grove Elementary, Walnut Grove Elementary and the Transportation/Operations Center will receive message alerts directly from Thorguard.

The Thorguard systems went online for Center Grove on March 1, 2015.

  OPENGATE DETECTION SYSTEM

Center Grove Schools will implement the Opengate Detection System on its middle and high school campuses in January 2026. Opengate is a modern, walk-through safety screening system utilized by many school districts across the country. 

Unlike traditional metal-detector gates, Opengate uses a pair of self-powered, portable pillars that employ advanced sensors to scan for concealed weapons or dangerous items as individuals pass through — without the need to remove backpacks or most personal items. The system is designed for high-throughput entry, meaning it can process a large number of students and visitors quickly and efficiently to minimize delays during arrival. It will also be used during transitions or at other random times to ensure screenings are unpredictable, unbiased, and effective. 

Center Grove obtained funding for this system through the Indiana Secured School Safety Grant, which makes this safety upgrade possible without burdening our Operations Fund budget.

 Video - OPENGATE Security Screening Overview:

  SAY SOMETHING ANONYMOUS REPORTING SYSTEM

Center Grove Schools utilizes the Say Something-Anonymous Reporting System to allow anyone to quickly, easily, and anonymously report safety concerns to school officials 24/7/365.

• Reports can be made online at this link: Say Something Anonymous Reporting.
• Apps are also available for download: 
  • Download IOS App
  • Download Android App
• In an emergency situation, please call 911.

This program from Sandy Hook Promise empowers students to be "Upstanders" and say something to a trusted adult when they recognize warning signs and threats. The program uses a three-step framework:

1. Recognize Warning Signs and Threats: Learn what warning signs and threats are and where they are likely to be found.
2. Act Immediately; Take it Seriously: Learn why it’s important to take action immediately when warning signs and threats are observed.
3. Say Something: Learn when to tell a trusted adult when warning signs and threats are observed as well as how to submit a tip using the Say Something-Anonymous Reporting System.

Say Something Anonymous Reporting

  SCHOOL BUILDINGS & GROUNDS

• More than 1,100 security cameras are posted district-wide and linked via network for monitoring by CGPD and administrators.
• Centegix Alert Systems are installed in every CGCSC building and alert badges are carried by every staff member. 
• Secure entryways are built into all schools.
• Each school is equipped with a Raptor kiosk to screen visitors.
• All classroom doors include thumb locks to securely lock doors from the inside.
• Volunteer background checks are required for parents who volunteer in classrooms.
• Lightning detection systems provide warnings to all schools when conditions are favorable for lightning. 
• Johnson Co. Sheriff's Dept. substations are located in the White River Township Fire Department Headquarters, located near MSN and PGES at the corner of Morgantown and Fairview Roads and in the Emergency Operations Center, just north of the main Center Grove campus, which houses CGES, MSC, and CGHS.

  SCHOOL BUS SAFETY

• All school buses are equipped with security cameras.
• Each bus is equipped with a GPS tracking system that is monitored by CGCSC's Transportation Operations Center. This allows us to monitor and review the precise location and speed of all buses at all times. This information is also saved, so it can be reviewed at a later time.
• Center Grove subscribes to the “Here Comes the Bus” app, which allows parents to track their child’s bus to and from school.

  "HERE COMES THE BUS" TRACKING

  "Here Comes the Bus" lets you view the real-time location of your child’s bus, so you can send your child to the bus stop at just the right time. 

  HOW IT WORKS

"Here Comes the Bus" enables you to:

• See the location of your child’s bus both before and after school
• Confirm that your child’s bus has arrived at the bus stop, at school or both
• Receive a push notification* or email message when the bus is a certain distance from your stop, and more

                    *Push notifications only available on iPhone & Android devices.

  HOW TO SET IT UP

• Create an account at www.herecomesthebus.com - use School Code 74644
• You will need your child's school identification number (available via Skyward, click here for the location of the number)
• Download the app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
  • IOS Link
  • Android link
• Log in to the app using your above account information to set up your notifications
• If you have trouble, you may contact Synovia at 877-SYNOVIA (877.796.6842) or HCTB@Synoviasolutions.com

  SECURE TRACKING

Synovia Solutions, the company behind "Here Comes the Bus," understands the need to keep children and their information safe and secure. That's why "Here Comes the Bus" uses student data provided by Center Grove Schools sent to Synovia Solutions’ private cloud over secure web services (SSL). All communication between the user’s web browser and the "Here Comes the Bus" website is encrypted. Synovia Solutions’ Silverlining software suite is web-based and utilizes HTTPS, which means the "Here Comes the Bus" app is also secure. Plus, it's password-protected! 

  VOLUNTEER BACKGROUND CHECKS

Parents and volunteers are vital to our corporation's success! The time they dedicate to our classrooms and field trips is invaluable.

Center Grove Community School Corporation (CGCSC) welcomes all volunteers.   Center Grove has modified its background check policy for building volunteers. We regularly review our policies and procedures to ensure the safety of our students and staff. CGCSC requires more extensive background checks for volunteers who are in a position to spend time with a student without a teacher or staff member present. While we do not want to discourage any parent from volunteering in our schools, we feel this change is necessary for our students’ safety.

Volunteers who would need the broader check include the following:

1. Any person who will be in a position to supervise students without direct supervision of a teacher – this includes but is not limited to field trip chaperones, tutors, music lesson tutors, athletic volunteers,  or any volunteer who takes a group of students out of a classroom for groups or activities
2. Any person who will be alone with students

Click here for a link to the background check website. 

Because this background check is more extensive, the cost is higher for the school district. Each volunteer will be charged $12.95* for the cost of the check. These checks will be active for two years.

After a background check is approved, the volunteer is welcome to reach out to the school where they'd like to volunteer. If you don't have a specific school, please send an email with your interest to this link.

We appreciate the valuable time our parents and community members spend in our schools and encourage anyone with the time to volunteer. Thank you for doing your part in creating a safe environment for all students!   *Some volunteers may be charged more than the base of $12.95. Additional fees are dependent upon the applicant's address history, verification of potential criminal history information, and/or court access fees. These fees are determined based on the information provided on the application.