Seneca Valley School District is proceeding with plans to install gates at the two entrances to its secondary campus in an effort to tighten security, a move the district has been talking about for years.

School board members Monday voted unanimously to authorize the administration to work with an architect to help design a gatehouse and gate at the main entrance on Seneca School Road in Jackson. If needed, a security officer would be stationed at the gatehouse.

A locking gate also is being explored for the other entrance at the upper parking lot.

During the past eight years, eight separate incidents have occurred that forced the district into a lock-down situation or involved increased security, Assistant Superintendent Matt McKinley said during a 10-minute presentation that preceded the board's vote.

The purpose of the added security would be to restrict access to the campus during the school day, which runs from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. All traffic entering or exiting campus would be forced to use the Seneca School Road entrances during those hours.

Dr. McKinley said the measures he was recommending were needed to ensure the safety of everyone on the secondary campus during the school day.

Plans call for video cameras at the gatehouse to monitor vehicles entering and exiting campus. The cameras would be able to photograph license plates, and they could be monitored from one or all of the buildings on the secondary campus.

No cost estimates have been discussed yet for the added security. Money for the project is to be included in the district's 2008-09 budget.

The district has been discussing increased security for about four years, and the board voted in October 2006 to look into the gate installation.

Currently, cameras are installed on all district campuses and buzzer systems at each school require district employees to unlock the door before a visitor can enter the building. Jackson police officers, up to two at a time, are on hand to patrol as needed, as are district security personnel.