New Plant City High school fence decorative and secure

When district officials looked for a company to design a fence to enhance security at Plant City High, they settled on a firm that was intimately familiar with the campus.

Rañon & Partners, Inc. Architects designed the school at One Raider Place about 40 years ago. The Tampa firm drew up plans for a fence, both decorative and secure, featuring black metal linked to brick columns.

"Hillsborough County School District has been working to have each school fenced on all sides to increase security," Principal Colleen Richardson said. "The school district contacted the same firm who designed the school in 1970 to help design our front entrance security fence."

Richard Schmitt, a partner and technical manager for Rañon & Partners, said his firm did the architectural work on the fence design free of charge to the district.

"Our history with the school district goes back to 1970," Schmitt said. "After we designed Plant City High, the district liked it so much they asked us it incorporate the same general design for Thomas Jefferson High School in Tampa two years later."

The company also used the same design in two Pinellas County schools, he said.

"When we were asked to look at designing this fence for Plant City High School we knew their budget was limited. We were pleased to provide our services free of charge," Schmitt said. "The design is distinctive and we are proud to be a part of the project."

Richardson said it took about three years for the school to raise $40,000 to help pay for the construction of the fence. The school used Pepsi and vending machine fund profits to fund the effort. Hillsborough County matched the money raised by the school.

Garnett Craig, the owner of Marquee Development, was awarded the bid on the job. He used a Lithia company, Advanced Fencing, owned by Luke Powledge, to construct the fence.

"Advanced Fencing did the work around the veterans hospital in Tampa," Craig said. "I liked their work, and when I got this project I asked Luke to build the fence for me."

Two sets of cantilever gates will close the entrance to the school parking lot once the fence is finished. Chain link connections to the school parking lots on the east and west sides will complete the job.