Colorado school districts are seeking to secure at least $4 million in funding to boost school safety. The plan is to spend for push button door locks in each classroom to comply with fire code requirements as well as keep the students safe during emergencies.
The Denver Post reports that a $572 million bond election is scheduled in November and school district officials are planning to push their request to earmark at least $4 million for the door lock upgrade. Initially, the purpose for this is to comply with the directive of the Colorado Division of Fire and Prevention Control. It requires all schools to have classroom locks from the inside and old locks should be out by Jan. 1, 2018, per the state code.
School Safety: Door Locks Upgrade Create Barrier From Threats
However, school officials say that this request is actually more about improving the security measures in the schools following the spate of mass shootings in the country. Currently, classrooms have outdated lock systems that require a teacher or someone assigned to find the keys and lock the doors from the hall outside. The new push button system will have anyone easily locking the doors from the inside so that it creates a barrier from any threats during emergency situations.
Colorado school district officials recognize that while the budget could be spent for teachers who can impact the kids' education, the reality is that school safety is a pressing problem and a proactive stance is needed. Kids feeling safe in school also affects their learning. "Our parents and our teachers and our students demand safe schools," said John McDonald via Denver Post.
Why are Colorado school districts going to spend millions on door locks? https://t.co/5LNQZOypkH by @ehernandez pic.twitter.com/L5bDtskgbt
— The Denver Post (@denverpost) June 20, 2016
School Safety: Push-Button Door Locks Could Be Misused
Daily Camera reports that door locks have become an important security issue for school officials after a shooter struck the University of California Los Angeles (UCAL) campus just this June. It turns out that the classrooms at the prestigious university are actually without any locks. It's the same case for the 2007 school shooting at the Virginia Tech University.
But some believe that that schools should instead spend on training employees to handle emergency situations than upgrading door locks. At high schools and universities, this security measure could be misused for assault or rape.
What's your say in this matter? Are upgrades in door locks the answer to school safety? Sound off in the comments!
