The Rock Hill Board of Education held a special meeting Thursday at the Rock Hill Child Development Center to review the district’s safety plan.

Wes Hairston, Rock Hill Local School District superintendent said the shooting in Newtown, Conn., was the inspiration for one of the key reasons for the special meeting.

“We talked about safety and security for our buildings,” Hairston said about the executive session. “We had a staff meeting two days ago involving all of our administration where we discussed finding ways to make sure buildings are more secure. We feel like the security system we have in place now, with cameras and security doors, is safe, but we feel there may be other things we can do to make our buildings even safer.”

Hairston said the cameras are located in strategic locations throughout the schools such as doorways and halls. He said one of the primary ways Rock Hill Schools stay safe is by locking doors and only allowing unrestricted access for faculty and staff. Visitors must be let in by administration and sign in to receive a visitors’ pass.

“In the morning we have staff on duty at the entrance for when the students to come to school,” Hairston said. “We also have a school resource officer who is shared with all the county schools. Response time is fairly quick given where we are which I have to praise Sheriff Lawless and Scott Wilson, who is our school resource officer, for.”

An energy conservation project also took up a good portion of the hour and a half executive session. Hairston said the school district is in the process of changing the piping systems on their heating and cooling systems.