At the beginning of the year, while walking to your classes, you may have noticed a red button above the door handle. These buttons are new lock mechanisms that were added this past summer.

“They’re a great addition for extra security in our classrooms. I think they’re necessary, especially since we were not able to lock our rooms from the inside [before].” said Mr. Kevin Hawk, the head of the music department. “So in an emergency, we could quickly secure our doors. He continues “…before we had to go in the hallway to lock the door. In the case of an emergency, there’s a lot going on and you only have a second to secure your room and stuff like that. Going into the hallway takes a couple of seconds so being able to lock it from the inside is great security.”

With an increased risk in school security across the country, this added step may help to make some teachers and students feel safer as well. Junior Emma Yangilmau stated, “I do feel kind of safer but it’s also sad that we need them.” Hawk feels that the locks are a “step in the right direction” and that “it was definitely a good added benefit for the school.”

The locks were implemented throughout the interior of the school buildings. However, they have not been installed in the temps/trailers, nor in the temporary classrooms offset by the gym. Mr. Bryan Hoggs, security personnel, noted that “the inside is more secure. Out there [in the temps] you’re just kind of by yourself. They probably should have put them on the temps before they put them on the inside. There is a plan is to have them done by the end of the year.”

While Hoggs believes that the locks could be beneficial, he also feels that they do not make much of a difference overall. “[Teachers don’t have to go outside] to lock the door. They just push the button and it automatically locks,” he adds, “I don’t really think there’s a big difference to be honest from the last locks. There is a little more security because now there is a button they can press to lock up. But, besides that, I don’t really see it being a major difference.”

Are these new locks the forebringer to other new security measures?