LAND O' LAKES, Fla. — The Pasco County School Board is expected to consider adopting recommendations aimed at improving security at schools districtwide.

• Purchase of security cameras proposed for some schools
• Cost for lock and handle upgrades would be $1.2 million
• School board could approve recommendations at meeting next week

"I'm all for it," said Dan Ruskiewicz, whose daughter is in second grade at Oakstead Elementary School. "I mean, it's good now. I see an armed security guard, and he does do a good job walking around when I've been on campus a couple of times."

The addition of those guards to Pasco elementary schools came in the wake of the Parkland shooting as part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Act. The law also mandated districts statewide conduct a Safe Schools Assessment. 

"As a theme across the district, we wanted to look at ways we could raise security within the existing school structures that we had. We've got varying levels of ages of schools within our district," said Pasco County Schools Safety & Security Director Christopher Stowe of Pasco's assessment.

One of the methods proposed based on findings is purchasing security cameras for schools that currently have minimal or no video surveillance. That is estimated to cost $840,000.

"One of the things that we are working on with the sheriff's department is a memorandum that would allow us to share the video feeds to the real time crime center," said Stowe. "So, should there be an event that would happen, they would be able to access those video feeds."

Another recommendation is to replace or upgrade the locks and handles on 3,000 doors in the district’s schools. 

"We found through some of the findings from other events across the state and across the nation is that teachers were having to go outside of their classrooms to lock their door," said Stowe.

Stowe said the upgrades will ensure the doors are always locked to someone trying to get in from the outside, while students can exit as normal. The estimated cost for the lock and handle upgrades is $1.2 million.

"The people and the mechanisms we're putting in place are to not try to make anything other than it more safe for the kids. We’re not trying to make it harder for them to get in. We're not trying to make it harder for parents to come in," said Stowe.

Other measures that can enhance security – repairing fences, landscaping that can improve line of sight for law enforcement – are also recommended, but Stowe said these will be paid for out of the district's work order budget. He said state funds will cover the cost of the cameras and door handle upgrades.

"It's exciting. It definitely makes us feel more secure. It helps our parents, definitely. Our parents are very involved and want to make sure their kids are safe," said Tammy Kimpland, principal of Oakland Elementary.

"I think it's excellent. I mean, about time with all the recent things that have happened here and around other parts of the country," said Ruskiewicz.

The Pasco School Board could vote on whether to approve the recommendations at its Oct. 2 meeting.