Your vote will help Pius X earn $100,000 toward building a new Secure School Front Entrance and Welcome Center! 

Pius X High School serves approximately 1,100 students annually, and welcomes thousands of visitors from Lincoln and beyond for a wide range of events every year. The Pius X Foundation is seeking support to build a new school front entrance that will enhance safety and security, while creating a central “welcome center” for students’ families and visiting community members. There is an urgent need to move forward on more than a decade of planning for an expanded school entrance that will incorporate 21st century safety and security standards. The project will also expand the front entrance area and repurpose existing space to better enable essential school staff to work with students’ families and visitors. Extending the front entrance to Pius X High School will provide a much-needed improvement to enhance both security and functionality. 

Key project enhancements:

•    Multi-door secure access with separated student and guest interaction areas

•    Expanded Counseling Center, Front Office, Administrative Office, and Nurse Office/Exam Room in one centralized location

•    Design based on recommendations from school security experts, similar to those used by schools recently built in Lincoln

Plans to Improve Safety for Our Students, Families, and Visitors:

Currently, visitors are screened at the front entrance by being “buzzed in” by the front office staff. However, the building entrance is not set up to require visitors to enter directly into the main office so they can be directed to the appropriate location by front office staff. Once visitors have entered the building, they can easily bypass the front office safety procedures (including providing a visitor identification badge) to enter any area of the school. 

The new front entrance will use a 3-step entry system designed to safely welcome visitors. A guest’s first stop will be in the Secure Vestibule. Next, a guest will be granted access to the Entry and Waiting Area, where they will be greeted and checked-in by staff. After a guest has received a Visitor ID Badge, they may proceed to staff offices within the Welcome Center or be granted access to the student area of the school (e.g. gym, performing arts center, commons). 

Central “Welcome Center” to Better Serve Pius X Families and Community Members:

In addition to the safety concerns of the current front entrance area, there is also not currently enough space for many of the school’s essential staff. The school nurse is housed in a small office in the gym, and expansion is needed to provide sufficient space for the administrative team, office manager, and the school’s Counseling Center to meet with students and their families. The new design features a 3,000 sq. ft. central “Welcome Center” area that will expand the front entry and renovate existing spaces. Security glass would offer both high visibility and safety that beautifully integrates with the school’s existing architecture.