Whittier : 8-Foot Iron Fence Ordered for Security at High School
The school board has approved plans to erect an eight-foot wrought-iron fence at the perimeter of Whittier High School to help keep students on campus and intruders out.
Safety concerns, potential gang problems and truancy after lunch prompted school officials to enclose the campus. The board also is considering a proposal to discourage students from leaving campus during the lunch break, officials said.
Board members of the Whittier Union High School District voted 3-to-2 to approve a $101,000 contract with Pasadena-based Crown Fence Co. to install the 1,400-foot fence. It will be erected before school starts in September, officials said.
Trustees Eve Burnett and Ralph S. Pacheco cast the dissenting votes.
Burnett said the fence is too expensive, but she does not oppose enclosing the school. “It’s sad to say that our high schools aren’t as safe as they used to be,” she said.
Plans for a similar fence at La Serna High School were delayed. Board members rejected a $141,000 proposal for the work as too expensive. Another district campus, California High School, already has security fencing, officials said.
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