JEFFERSON TWP — Schools in the South Butler School District will have improved security features by this fall.

The school board Wednesday night approved two construction companies to complete $477,900 in construction and installations, which will included captured entrances, bank teller-style windows and a more thorough sign-in process at each of the district’s four schools.

Superintendent Mike Leitera said the new features will provide a more secure building because fewer people would have to come all the way inside.

“A person can come into the captured entrance, so they get through the first layer of security, still having another layer before they got into the building,” he said. “And any things like lunches, gym clothes, dropping off books, there’s a steel drawer that would come out, they’d put it through, and they can go back out of the building.”

Also, instead of using the driver’s license photograph to create a visitor badge, cameras outside of the building will take a photograph and then print a badge of what the person is wearing and looks like on that day.

Fred L. Burns Inc. of Clarion is completing the general construction for $342,000. Merit Electrical Group of Oakmont is installing electrical construction for $135,900.

Leitera said construction will begin in the spring and should be completed by the start of the next school year.