Facility committee approves powered entry gates at new middle school over manual option

The Waunakee Community School District facility committee voted to install powered, automatic gates at the new middle school after extended discussion about safety and daily operations.

Adam of Vogel presented the site plan and a proposal to credit existing manual pipe‑rail gate foundations toward motorized gates with long‑range vehicle readers and programmable schedules. "Gates would recognize that they open and they close," Adam said, describing how the automatic reader would detect credentialed vehicles.

Jeff, speaking from an operations perspective, said manual gates create staffing problems: buses and deliveries require someone to open and close gates multiple times per day and the proposed layout would leave the south gate distant from staff locations. He warned that propped or unattended manual gates would undermine the safety aim.

Dustin and other staff highlighted that the new middle school design places a recess/play area near the rear lot, increasing risk if unauthorized vehicles gain access. Committee members repeatedly noted that manual gates at other schools had been left open and questioned relying on a staff person to operate gates across a long site distance.

Committee members asked about cost. Staff confirmed the $85,000 figure in the contingency tracker is the difference between manual and powered gates. Multiple members said that if gates are required for safety, motorized gates were the prudent option despite the higher price.

Speaker 9 moved to approve powered gates; Speaker 1 seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote; members in attendance responded "aye." Staff indicated the cost would come from contingency and that further implementation details (scheduling and credentialing) would be handled by facilities and operations staff.

The committee asked staff to finalize specifications and proceed with procurement in keeping with the approved budget and timeline.