Limestone County Schools have close to 1,000 SafeDefend boxes strategically placed in classrooms and other high-traffic areas throughout the district, but a recent assessment conducted by Transportation, Safety and Athletics Director Rusty Bates revealed some key areas don’t have one.

The boxes contain an array of self defense and first-aid items designed for active-shooter situations and can only be accessed by a registered fingerprint scan. Connected to a central board in the main office, each box contains a flashlight with a strobe function, plastic handcuffs, a telescoping self-defense baton, military-grade mace, a tourniquet, trauma pack, whistle and yellow safety vest.

“During the first nine weeks of school, we have been gathering data about our SafeDefend boxes,” Bates said. “We have found a handful of classes — less than 10 — that need a box.”

Wide sweeping budget cuts made by the Limestone County Board of Education earlier this year means there is not enough money in the system’s general fund to pay for the needed boxes.

Instead, Bates said he is looking to outside funding sources, such as grants to cover the cost of the additional boxes, which run about $650 apiece.

Initially, Bates said the LCBOE invested $600,000 to have approximately 800 SafeDefend boxes installed in most of the system’s classrooms. As enrollment increased and classrooms were reconfigured, Bates said the board approved two more rounds of purchases to bring the system to almost 1,000 boxes.

Limestone County remains the only system in the state to invest in the non-lethal safety boxes, which were developed by a former school principal. The boxes are part of the system’s multi-layered approach to safety, which also includes the placement of a school resource officer in every school and the Rave Panic Button.

According to the SafeDefend website, once a box is activated, an alert is sent to a nationwide monitoring company along with a text alerting identified personnel to begin lockdown procedures. Local law enforcement is immediately notified of the building and room number, where the system was activated.

The system pays an additional fee for both the national monitoring service and box maintenance. Bates was unsure of the annual cost for these services. The system’s chief financial officer, Kimberly Hubbard, who cited the need to meet a deadline Tuesday, was unable to provide The News Courier with the requested information.

Bates said as the system’s budget improves, he will look to the board to fund more boxes.