Plan for new school security system underway

     As school shootings happen more and more often, schools everywhere are looking to up their security, including Ripley and Ravenswood high schools. A new security system will be installed into the school during summer break.  The school has a security system now, though it is not as advanced compared to other schools. Identification cards are required on your person and there are cameras all over campus and inside the building. But, the high school has potential for a more secure environment; administrators have taken notice and are making a safer change.

     A company called Mason and Berry did a security audit giving recommendations to the Board of Education. They will install the system, costing close to $100,000. It will affect nearly every inch of the school grounds, and its purpose will be solely to keep students safe.

     The biggest changes planned consist of automatically locking exterior doors, a waiting lobby for visitors, and gates that are constantly closed on each entrance to campus. All exterior entrances to buildings will have monitoring systems on them. There will be five minute delays during class changes before the doors are set to lock again. If a student is tardy and stuck outside, they must first go back to the main office by being buzzed in through the senior doors, get a tardy slip and then go to class. If they go to the annex for class, they must also be buzzed in through a door down there.

     “It will be a big change. It’s a logistical nightmare; we have five separate buildings on campus and the students, teachers, and community will all have to be retrained,” said Principal William Hosaflook.