Schools all across America took action to ensure better security after the numerous amount of school shootings that happened in 2018. Statistics from BBC News show that 113 people were killed or injured in school shootings in the United States last year. 

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 89.6 percent of high schools have gates in front to keep threats outside. Yet, what the schools do not realize is how easy it is for anyone to still get in.  

Many students would hold the door open to let the person behind them in without even looking through the door window, while students should instead always check to see who they let in the classroom since it is better to be safe than sorry. 

Also, sometimes it is not always people from the outside of the school that are a danger to others. There have been 691 school shootings that have been orchestrated by a student since 1970 as stated by Campus Safety magazine. So, the new gate in front of the school will not work if the shooters are already inside. 

A way to act against shooters is for students and teachers to learn how to effectively get away from the shooter without being harmed. The video from last year displaying a pretend scenario of a school shooting and self-defense techniques should be shown every year so that students can protect themselves. 

There was a faculty meeting Jan. 29 regarding our school’s security efforts. As a result of the meeting, hard corners were established in classrooms and doors are supposed to be locked at all times. 

Hard corners are locations in the classroom to signify where to go when a school is under a lock down. These locations are useful because it gives students a better chance of surviving if they are under furniture and away from the windows, for it is highly likely that the shooter will go for easy targets roaming in the halls then those locked inside in a classroom. 

Safety should be the number one focus of schools and the security efforts now need to be updated by installing bulletproof windows and requiring students to be able to protect themselves by being involved in the ALICE program. 

The ALICE program is where instructors come to teach teachers how to defend themselves in case of a school shooting and then the teachers teach the students how to respond to a school shooting effectively and safely. 

All these security efforts should be followed through on because there should not be another student or teacher’s blood shed ever again.