![A single entrance point gate is being built around the school, just outside of the G building entrance. The gate entrance has been up since the first day of school and has since expanded to the bus stop. “[The gate is for] safety and tracking too, so we make this place the safest that it can possibly be for everyone inside of it,” Assistant Principal Eric Gant said.](https://southwestshadow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_5421-1-e1728064543737-1200x792.jpeg)
As CCSD implements its new safety policy, students can expect to begin utilizing a single entry point to enter the campus. The two current entrances could pose an issue of incoming threats entering campus and the single entry point will serve to combat this problem.
“We have a west door and the cafeteria doors, but based on the CCSD policy we’re going to eventually get down to one point of entry and it’s most likely going to be the cafeteria,” Assistant Principal Cameron Roehm said. “It’s just more of a safety concern with the district, so you can keep watch with that one security door. “
Teachers, such as Biology teacher Tiana Hartley, think the school has no severe safety concerns, but it’s better to follow policies and avoid unwanted visitors.
“The way I think about it is, it’s better to prevent the problems than waiting until problems start and only then gaining control,” Hartley said. “It’s a good idea, but I am concerned about the timing. I think it’ll just bother students for a while.”
Some students think of it as a positive decision that will overall make them feel safer coming to school, and the fence will remove the issue of overcrowding within the cafeteria, as people will not be entering through it.
“Instead of the entry point being the cafeteria itself, which is an integral part of the school which students are constantly in, there’s a gate to get in,” sophomore Sophia Maddox said. “I think it will be like a layer of protection because there is no direct entrance into the school.”
On the other hand, some students believe the entrance point will confine students and make it harder for them to get to class.
“I feel like we are already well secured, unlike other schools. I think it’s creating a prison for our school,” senior Violet Moreno said. “I think it will make students less excited for school.”
Additionally, the school administration is considering using ID scans at the gate to track students’ presence on campus. Another option is for teachers to scan student IDs for attendance logging in Infinite Campus and ensuring that students are carrying their IDs.
“It will obviously emphasize the importance of bringing your ID because you’ll need the ID for scanning into class,” Assistant Principal Eric Gant said. “It’s really for safety so we can confirm and have a record that students are here, that way we know about what’s going on at all times.”
Furthermore, the school has been implementing more cameras with newer software for safety.
“The cameras will cover additional blind spots, so we have eyes on everything. We utilize the cameras a lot for vape alerts, or stuff happening on Saturdays and Sundays,” Gant said. “Both the single entry point and cameras will 100 percent benefit the safety of this school.”
