Hermosa Beach's three elementary schools are in line for automated door locks, surveillance cameras and emergency alert systems after the school board approved a multi-agency agreement tied to a federal safety grant.
The Hermosa Beach City School District Board of Education voted Wednesday, Aug. 12, to approve a Memorandum of Understanding with the Hermosa Beach Police Department, the City of Hermosa Beach and the Beach Cities Health District. The MOU supports the district's application for the FY 2026 COPS School Violence Prevention Program grant, a U.S. Department of Justice program that funds physical security upgrades at K-12 schools.
If awarded, the grant would pay for automated access control, emergency notification technology and upgraded surveillance infrastructure at Hermosa View, Hermosa Vista and Hermosa Valley schools. The federal program caps awards at $500,000 over three years and requires applicants to put up at least 25% in local matching funds, according to the COPS Office.
The item was recommended by Superintendent Dr. Susan Wildes, according to the board agenda. The agenda states the district "is in the process of submitting" the application. The federal deadline for submissions was Aug. 11, one day before the board formally ratified the agreement.
Under the MOU, the district serves as lead fiscal and administrative agency. The police department will coordinate emergency response planning and threat assessments. The city will align its dispatch and emergency operations with the upgraded school systems. Beach Cities Health District will provide behavioral health resources, youth diversion services and crisis intervention through its allcove Beach Cities program.
The agreement specifies that the new security technology will be used only for emergency preparedness and external threat response, not to discipline students or criminalize routine behavior.
$81,200 in construction at Hermosa View
The board also approved three construction contracts totaling about $81,200 at Hermosa View Elementary, all timed for completion before the 2026-27 school year starts Aug. 19:
- Knowland Construction Services: DSA Inspector of Record services for the portables installation project, not to exceed $24,000. Knowland submitted the lowest bid among three prequalified firms.
- Piana Construction and Maintenance: Summer painting of roughly 1,100 square feet of exterior siding, ten doors and interior walls in three classrooms plus the administration building, $30,300.
- McKeown Construction: Demolition, grading, reinforced concrete pad and pathway installation, and relocation of three storage sheds, $26,900.
The Piana and McKeown contracts were awarded through California's informal bidding process for projects below the formal competitive threshold. The Piana painting work is funded from the district's general fund. The portables project, including the Knowland inspection contract, is part of the $28.7 million Measure HV bond program voters approved in November 2024.
The portables project hit a snag in June when the sole bid, roughly $712,000 from Steady Solutions Inc., came in over budget and was rejected. The Knowland inspection contract supports the district's re-bid effort.
The board also ratified a $12,500 contract addendum with District Advocates Group for grant-writing services on the SVPP application, covering the required project narrative and budget documents.
Teachers return to campus Monday, Aug. 17, and students start Wednesday, Aug. 19. The next board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers.
