When it comes to school security, the “summer crunch” is a real thing. Every year, districts across the country wait until May or June to pull the trigger on security upgrades, only to find that equipment is backordered and installation crews are booked solid through September.
To get your campus ready for the first bell, the secret isn’t simply better tech — it’s better timing. “Starting your planning and scheduling in the first quarter of the year is the only way to navigate the long lead times required in modern school security projects,” according to Sonitrol Great Lakes Education Market Director Clay Crost.
The “Winding Road” of Procurement
The process of upgrading a school is rarely as simple as clicking “buy.” According to Education Week Magazine, the road from identifying a need to awarding a contract is a “winding road of compliance checks, clarifying questions, evaluation, and scoring” that can take many months.
If you want work to happen in July, you need to account for these specific milestones:
The RFP phase: Writing a high-quality Request for Proposal (RFP) requires clear expectations, including project backgrounds and specific technical requirements.
The bidding process: Vendors need time to conduct site walks and submit accurate quotes. Rushing this often leads to “apples to apples” comparison issues during evaluation.
Equipment sourcing: In an era of AI-enabled, IP-based video surveillance, the complexity of the hardware, and the network infrastructure needed to support it, can lead to significant shipping delays.
Crew scheduling: High-quality installation crews are in peak demand during the summer months. Booking them in February or March ensures your project is at the top of their list.
The Importance of Early Planning
Industry leaders agree that proactive planning is a foundational responsibility. As noted in Campus Safety Magazine, “Integrated school building assessments will take an ‘always on’ approach,” helping leaders take the appropriate actions to both prevent and respond to incidents.
Furthermore, initiating planning early in the year allows you to align recommendations with your budgeting and procurement timelines, ensuring you aren’t reacting to issues mid-year. This lead time also allows security professionals to achieve a lifecycle approach, ensuring that security systems remain resilient and readily-adaptable.
Don’t Wait for the Heat
“By the time the final school bell rings in the spring, the best contractors are already gone,” Crost noted. “By starting your RFP process now, you give your district the breathing room to choose a trusted partner such as Sonitrol Great Lakes, not just a salesperson, who can act as your long-term security integrator.”