Under lock & key

PCHS--The doors in the east and west wings of the school are being locked.  From 8:15am until lunch, then from the end of lunch until 2:25pm, students will be unable to use these entryways.  Only five sets of doors will remain open throughout the school day:  the front doors, the doors to the Eccles Center, the doors to the church parking lot, and the back doors.

Vice Principal Dave McNaughtan says, “There are so many doors in the building, it is hard to control them all.”

The reason for the new security measures stems from some teachers and students who have expressed concern about their safety. “We don't want someone coming in, grabbing a kid and taking them out of the school, “ says Principal Hilary Hays. 

In an attempt to control the amount of strangers in our halls, in the form of parents or visitors, Kevin Orgill has been appointed as District Security Adviser.

“There were too many unknown people walking the halls,” says Orgill.

Hays agrees, “That’s not safe.”

This is the first of a series of alterations and additions to our security policies.  Identification badges for all faculty and visitors will be required. 

According to McNaughtan, the locked doors will force people to come in through the main entrance.  “We can’t shut everything down,” he explains, “but we want people to go the front doors.”

This is not because of an increase in violence, but rather a preemptive measure.

Health teacher Gail McBride points out, “Most schools feel safe until something happens.”

Although some students feel locked doors are inconvenient, McNaughtan says “It can’t be 50 or 60 more feet,” to enter through the front.

Out of a hundred students polled, 38 didn't even know that the doors were locked. All 100 had felt safe before the policy, with only 4 feeling that the doors being locked made them feel safer. Teachers seem to share the sentiment--having felt safe before--but they also feel that the doors being locked is a good step to take.

Like locking the front door of a house at night, the faculty feels that locked doors and security badges are reasonable for ensuring the safety of our school.