Wednesday marks the first day of classes for schools throughout Broward County, and students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and other schools will be seeing some big changes as a result of the tragedy that took place there in February.
“You will notice the differences,” said Broward County Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie. “The teachers, everyone, they see it, they feel it.”
Stoneman Douglas and most other schools will now have a single point of entry, which means one way in and one way out during arrival and dismissal.
For schools with new entrances still in the works, the Superintendent says they’re still safe and the updates are on the way. “Every school has components of single point of entry,” said Runcie, “but fully completed, meeting the district standards, we probably have somewhere a little less than one hundred schools to go.”
Every campus will also have an armed officer or guardian. Once the district gets more funding, every school will have a school resource officer.
Also on the way; new fences, more security cameras, and all students will be required to wear I.D. badges on campus.
There’s also more money in the pot for mental health resources, but that’s still not enough for some parents security concerns.
Superintendent Runcie said he understands the security changes will require a change in behavior from everyone and that at times it may pose an inconvenience. However, safety and security are most important.
Runcie has also asked the City of Fort Lauderdale for 13 police officers to help out with security in Parkland during the first day of school.