How safe is your child's school??

[KristiKelly]

With all the recent events happening, I find myself questioning the safety & security of our children in local schools. My 2 oldest, DS9 & DD6, are both in the same elementary school. It is a great school with a tremendous amount of parental support and open door policy, parents are encouraged to visit anytime.

When I visit the school, I go to the office, sign in, get a visitor sticker and go to the class. There have been many times, that I sign in and no one is at the front desk, sometimes someone is there or in the next room, they see me but never question why I'm there. Maybe it's because I'm @ school so much that they know who I am.

Our school is also the voting center for our area of town. On voting days, our school is open for everyone to go to the gym to vote. The gym is a central location for the 3 halls( hall #1 - K & 1st, hall #2 - 2nd & 3rd, hall #3 - 4th & 5th grades - you get the idea) going in each direction away from it.

I mentioned to DH a few years ago that I didn't like school being in session while voting is going on because just anyone & everyone could get access to the classrooms.

I want better security put into our schools, but how? At first I thought about a PTA type fundraiser where everyone buys a card that works similar to that of WDW, you scan the card along with your finger then the door automatically unlocks for you. I'm sure this would be costly to install and keep up but how can you put a price tag on somethings.

Do any of you question the safety & security in your schools & what do you feel your school is doing about it or can do about it?

 

[AKLRULZ]

It's a great question - I feel safe about my kids' schools but I am curious how the events of these past couple of weeks will impact school security across the nation. Our schools are closed on voting days so if they're a polling center no students are in the building.

 

[chris1gill]

I am very worried about our school's safety... anyone can walk into our middle or upper school's... The lower school is safely locked and there is no access without going through someone who has to physcially be there to buzz you in... course, with the events of the last week, I don't know that I even feel safe with that....

I think we have too many gun's in this country & too many crazy"s with gun's in this country....

 

[Disney Ella]

At my kids' school, the doors are locked and they buzz you in, but once you're in, it doesn't seem that they really pay that much attention to you. It seems to me that someone up to no good could get in and disappear down the hall and it would be ten minutes until someone realized, "Didn't we buzz a visitor in ten minutes ago? Now where did he go?"

The sad thing is that no matter what security measures are in place, anyone intent on getting around them probably will be able to find a way. There is no such thing as 100% safe unfortunately.

 

[welovedisneyx4]

I was just thinking about this as well. I am not sure if the kids elementry school has any open doors other than the front or not. The front door opens right into the office. I should see the assistant principal either tonight or tomorrow night and will talk to her about it.

DH teaches HS and I know the doors there are not locked. DD and DS ride the bus over from the elem. school in the afternoon and get off right at a side door and go right in.

I told my co-workers I am all ready for complete school lock-down and metal detectors w/ armed guards at the main entrance, as well as bag searches. I don't care whose rights it violates!!!!!!!! When these idiots are coming into schools and killing innocent people (children and staff, as well as anyone else in the school), something has to be done!!!

 

[diznygirl]

When our school began several new security measures due to state and federal statutes last year, the parents here in town complained. They didn't feel "welcome" at the school anymore. They actually argued that since nothing had happened, there was no reason to secure the campus.

I hope nothing ever does happen, but I don't think we should lock the barn door after the horse are gone, KWIM?! Get those gates up now!

 

[grinningghost]

Not too safe as far as I'm concerned. You can pretty much walk right in and nobody questions you, except if you walk in the main door, a security guard MIGHT question you, if he's not too into his crossword puzzle.

DD's school had 2 bomb threats last week. Both turned up nothing, thank God, but that's the kind of crap we're dealing with.

 

[noodleknitter]

So, you lock down the schools, and someone shoots the kids on the playground. As horrifying as the last week's news has been, locking kids up isn't the answer, IMO.

I can't imagine kids having to walk past armed guards to get to class. Teaching our kids paranoia isn't going to make this world a better place.

 

[CEDmom]

We're in a new school this year. I know it's very high tech but I do need to ask the principal about the specific procedures in the event someone gets into the building. I think it's something that should be provided to every parent.

I know in our old school they had a great plan in place. The principal worked in the private sector for years doing disaster planning. Many schools are modeled on the process he put in place.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Our school is totally open. They assign a teacher to sit by each entrance, more to stop the kids from leaving, I think, because they smile and say "hello," but never ask me any questions when I show up. Even if they WERE checking people who came in, a guy (or guys) with guns could just shoot the teacher and keep going.

And even if they locked up the entrances, there are lots of windows.

I really wish they'd stop reporting this on the national news. I wonder if it doesn't reinforce the idea in some people's minds. Or just give them the idea in the first place.

I feel so awful for those poor people in Pennsylvania.

 

[juligrl]

O.P., I think you've just discovered one of the many reasons some parents opt to home-school their kids.

 

[tiff13]

We've had 2 bomb threats in the last week. The sent seniors and juniors across the road to the middle school and the sophmores and freshman across to the road to the elementry school. I gurantee you neither of the schools were swept through before sending more kids over there. They then let anyone who drove to school leave, without clearing the parking lot. Because of the whole airline terrorism plot that happened, they made an announcement not to use cell-phones. So what does everyone do, yah they starting calling their parents and friends on their phones. It was absolutley ridicoulous.

Some people have asked why we don't install medal detectors. And the response was because it costs too much. So what they are saying is our saftey isn't worth the money.

 

[Luv'sTink]

I have thought about this a lot. The door you go in is not in front of the office, the office is off set to the left. If you turn right you go to class rooms and though they have closed circuit TV, I don't think they ever really look at it.

 

[rparmfamily]

The elem my DD goes to is gated during school hours, the entire parameter of the building including playgrounds,etc. 7' chain link fences. Doors are locked (from the outside). The only way into the school from the outside is thru the main entrance, which does not open up into the school itself, you end up having to go thru some offices to get into the hallways.

This school is about 4 yrs old and in a very good part of town.

 

[georgina]

So, you lock down the schools, and someone shoots the kids on the playground. As horrifying as the last week's news has been, locking kids up isn't the answer, IMO.

I can't imagine kids having to walk past armed guards to get to class. Teaching our kids paranoia isn't going to make this world a better place.

I agree. Our elementary has a buzz-in system, but the middle and high schools do not. At a meeting last week, the superintendent said there is a plan if something does occur, as to who takes charge, what everyone's role is, but you cannot safeguard everything.

 

[Dragonlord11_7]

My school has a buzz in system but we're not exactly safe. 2 years ago, we had a lockdown because someone got in and was looking for his "son". (He was 21... he doesn't have a son at a k-8 school) The teacher pointed him into a deserted corridor, and quickly phoned the office. They told a lie that everyone believed and we locked all the doors. He promptly left, and they presumed he was planning to hold hostages. He had held the door for some kids coming in from recess and they didn't take a second glance at him. Everyone was shocked, and they made it a point to lock all the doors and to monitor each door with an aide at all times.

 

[N.Bailey]

You have to be buzzed in for all of our schools (elem. thru to HS), then immediately go to the office and sign in. While it's better than nothing, I think more could be done.

I'd be interested in knowing what measures were taken in the schools where the principle was shot in Wisconsin, the school in Bailey, Colorado, and Columbine prior to the massacre there.

 

[JVL1018]

At my daughter's elemetary school every outside door is locked and you have to go to the main entrance and ring the bell and they'll buzz you in. The office is right around the corner. you have to go there once you come in, if you do not, the entire school gets locked down, everyone out of the halls, all classrooms locked.

It has happened, a few years ago, someone got buzzed in and the office staff just saw someone run past the office, so they immediatly said whatever they say on the PA.
The principal and the janitor went around looking for the person, turned out to be a high school kid who had been there earlier volunteering-he had left his sunglasses and came back to get them, didn't think to stop.
The principal then went to every single class to knock on the door and tell them everything was fine.

Does it guarantee safety? No. But I'm still glad the school is not wide open to anyone.

 

[mjkacmom]

All schools in our town are locked, and you need to be buzzed in (camera). The high school students have to wear passes around their necks. There are no parent volunteers. We're 10 miles outside NYC, and things changed a lot after 9/11. We have lockdown drills along with fire drills.

 

[momrek06]

You have to be buzzed in for all of our schools (elem. thru to HS), then immediately go to the office and sign in.

Same with my DS' but they graduated h.s. in 2000 and 2004! Their schools with the buzz in feature has been ongoing since they both walked into ELEM school some 12 years prior to the years stated.

Also, as you are buzzed in, there is a HUGE window into the Main Office...they watch and observe you like a HAWK....if they do NOT recognize you...they have an intercom and they speak to you through the intercom addressing yourself and what your business is at the school BEFORE allowing you entrance.