DC-Area Schools That Have Motorized Room Partitions
Click on the dots to see where room partitions are located.
Source: Information provided by school districts.
Note: D.C. Public Schools was unable to provide information on room partitions. Culpeper County Public Schools, Manassas Park City Schools and Spotsylvania County Public Schools said they do not have any partitions.
Editor's Note (Jan. 4, 2019): After the initial publication of this story, a number of school districts made changes related to partitions. See updated district-by-district information below.
After a 9-year-old boy was crushed to death by a motorized room partition in his Northern Virginia school this spring, a News4 consumer investigation found that nearly 500 of the partitions are located in schools in the D.C. area.
Of the 21 school districts that have the powerful devices, as of September 2018, 17 districts had no formal, written policies on who was allowed to operate them. As of January 2019, three of those 17 districts said they were creating policies.
Click on the dots on the map above to see where partitions can be found at schools in your area.
Wesley Lipicky was helping a teacher operate a partition in the gym of Franconia Elementary School in Alexandria on May 18 when he got caught between the huge partition and a wall, Fairfax County police said. He suffered head injuries. An EMS crew arrived within four minutes, fire department records show. But Lipicky's injuries were too severe. The third-grader died at a hospital that night.
Fairfax County Public Schools issued new policies on the use of motorized partitions after Lipicky's death.
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Retired Fairfax County teacher Carol Bailey pushed the district to make changes so no other child is ever hurt by a partition again. She reached out to school officials, state lawmakers and wrote a letter to the editor that was published in The Washington Post.
"It shouldn't have happened," she said with tears in her eyes.
Charles County, Loudoun County, Montgomery County and Prince William County all have motorized partitions in schools. None of these districts, among many others, have written policies for who should operate the partitions and how.
News4 asked districts across the D.C. area about motorized partitions in schools, finding that 478 partitions were located in 288 schools. Culpeper County Public Schools, Manassas Park City Schools and Spotsylvania County Public Schools said they do not have any partitions.
D.C. Public Schools confirmed there are partitions in D.C. schools. But the district was the only in the region that was unable to provide information on how many partitions are in the schools or where they are located.
Bailey, who is a friend of Lipicky's grandmother, said she was stunned to learn that more school districts don't have policies on who is allowed to operate motorized partitions.
"It's just mind-boggling. You can't imagine, and particularly after this," she said.
Bailey, the friend of the victim's grandmother, said she wants to see school districts do more to protect students.
"I just feel like something has to be done," she said.
Bailey said she wants every school district to train staff members on how to operate the partitions, and every district to add safety devices to the mechanical walls. One such device is called SafePath. It uses motion sensors to stop partitions from moving if anything gets in their path.
One of the owners of SafePath told News4 it costs between $5,000 to $6,000 to purchase and install each device.
News4 learned that Fairfax County schools looked into SafePath after Lipicky's death. But school officials said they had no current plans to buy the devices, though they are "always evaluating opportunities to improve safety practices and procedures."
Out of nearly 500 motorized partitions in schools in our area, News4 learned that only one partition had an additional safety device. Drew Elementary School in Arlington County had a motion sensor device on a partition in the gym.
Bailey urged districts to invest in children's safety.
"It just seems to me that there's got to be some way to make it absolutely foolproof," she said.
A Fairfax County Police Department investigation into the accident that killed Lipicky is ongoing, the department said.
A source told News4 an independent investigation also is underway. Fairfax County Public Schools said any information on that investigation would be confidential because of attorney-client privilege and the need for student confidentiality.
Additionally, just days after Lipicky's death, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission confirmed to News4 that it was investigating the incident. News4 submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the agency regarding its findings and still are awaiting a response.
Here's what D.C.-area school districts told us about motorized partitions:
DC PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: Did not provide information
Policy: Any motorized partitions in DCPS buildings are controlled and operated by designated staff with restricted key access. Designated staff are required to monitor all areas of the partition during opening or closing.
VIRGINIA
ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 3
No written policy provided. Building engineer is the only one with access to partition keys.
ARLINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 6
—We are introducing an extra layer of Security so that only pre-trained staff with suitable permissions on their swipe card can extract the operating key from a lock box.
—Any new staff who may be operating such a device will be trained as part of their on-boarding process.
—We will run a refresher course annually for all potential operators.
—The larger drop down curtains will be motorized with similar safety procedures in place though these devices (other than falling down) pose generally less threat, hence their selection.
-The partition at Drew Elementary School has motion sensors that will stop the door if something is in its path.
-All motorized partition doors have red-and-white, clearly visible warning signs indicating the crush hazard dangers of motorized doors posted on them.
APS has the following safety procedures for the use and operation of motorized gymnasium partition doors:
1. Partition doors may only be operated by trained staff. Examples of designated and trained staff include head custodians, building managers, athletic directors, and night custodians.
2. Two adults must be present and in position at opposite ends of the partition door when the door is in operation.
3. No students are permitted to assist with operating a motorized partition door and students are not permitted to be in the gymnasium while motorized doors are in operation.
4. Keys to automated door switches are issued only to designated and trained operators.
This letter with additional details was sent to principals in June.
FAIRFAX COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 127
Policy:
• Students are not permitted to be in the gym, on the stage, in the cafeteria, or anywhere else where the doors are located when the doors are being opened or closed.
• Only specific staff, designated by the Principal, may operate the equipment.
• Access to the operating key will be restricted to these designated employees only.
• Staff members are required to monitor both sides of the partition when it is opening or closing.
FALLS CHURCH CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 2
No formal policy, but a practice. Only custodial/maintenance staff and administrators have access to the keys.
FAUQUIER COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 2
No written policy.
FREDERICK COUNTY (VA) PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 5
No written policy.
FREDERICKSBURG CITY SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 2
No written policy.
LOUDOUN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 52
No written policy. Keys maintained by either Head Custodian or Assistant Principal. Details on all the partitions can be found here.
MANASSAS CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 1
No written policy.
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 51
No written policy.
Go here to see the district's brochure on operation of the partitions.
STAFFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 12
No written policy.
MARYLAND
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 3
Students are not permitted to operate motorized partitions at any time.
No written policy provided.
CALVERT COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 7
“We are working on writing a procedure that will fall under the Safety and Health Policy.”
Previously had no written policy.
CHARLES COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 38
At the direction of the Superintendent, Charles County Public Schools through its Office of Safety and Risk Management developed formal safety guidelines for “Bleachers, Folding and Telescopic Seating, Folding Walls, Mechanical Curtains, and Grandstands Inspections and Operations” in 2017. In that document, it provides straightforward rules for who is allowed to operate any of the mechanical equipment listed in the title as well as strict operating guidelines.
Formal training documents were written in 2017 and training was mandated for all staff operating this type of mechanical equipment starting on August 1, 2018. The training is part of the Charles County Public Schools Safe Schools Mandatory Online Training. Operators also receive hands-on training.
FREDERICK COUNTY (MD) PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 52
No written policy.
HOWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 1
No written policy. Only custodial staff operate the 1 partition in the county. Students are not allowed to operate the partition.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 82
“…written protocols are in development that reaffirm that the double key system schools may only be operated by MCPS staff. We have also reached out to similarly-sized jurisdictions to learn their best practices.”
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 22
The Safety Officer for the school system recently developed a standard operating procedure for the motorized partitions for school-based staff members. The operating procedure is being printed in English and Spanish on safety bulletins to be mounted on walls near the motorized partitions to increase awareness of safe operating procedures in schools. Additional training in the safe operation motorized partitions will be conducted.”
Only the building maintenance supervisor should have a key to open and close a motorized partition. Partitions should only be operated when no students are present in a room.
Previously had no written policy.
ST. MARY’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Total number of motorized partitions: 8
No written policy.
