FUN 107
If you've driven past Lenox Memorial Middle and High School or Morris Elementary lately, you might have noticed some massive cement spheres that weren't there before. They're not art installations they're bollards, and they're the latest upgrade in school security across Massachusetts. You may have seen some at the entrance to Target in Lanesborough as well.
So what exactly is a bollard? Think of them as heavy-duty bouncers for building entrances. These 3,000-pound cement barriers are designed to stop vehicles from crashing into doorways, whether it's an accident (someone hits the gas instead of the brake) or something more sinister. They're the same kind of physical barriers you'll see protecting storefronts in cities or government buildings nationwide.
Lenox installed them earlier this month at both school entrances thanks to a $3,428 state grant secured by School Resource Officer William Colvin and DPW Superintendent William Gop. The project is part of a comprehensive safety assessment requested by Superintendent William Collins back in July 2023. -berkshireeagle.com
"The bollards help protect students and staff from a vehicle, whether it be something malicious or somebody who pulled in and had a medical emergency," Colvin explained to the Berkshire Eagle.
Lenox isn't alone. Schools across Massachusetts have been quietly installing these barriers over the past few years. Newton public schools added bollards at several elementary buildings in 2022. Brookline installed them at multiple school entrances following national incidents involving vehicles and school buildings. Framingham,
Worcester, and Springfield have all incorporated bollards into recent school security upgrades.
The installations are typically funded through state safety grants or municipal capital improvement budgets, with costs ranging from $3,000 to $15,000 depending on the number of barriers and installation complexity.
It's the kind of upgrade you hope never gets tested, but one that reflects the unfortunate reality of keeping our kids safe in 2026.