New security measures in Bannock County schools

With the first day of school nearing for many students, schools are making additional efforts to protect them. Adding new security measures, administrators are trying to prevent acts of violence in an era flooded with it.

The Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 has put a new security system in place that monitors who can enter the school. In previous years, all the doors around the school were locked, aside from the main entrance. This year the main entrance will be locked as well.

As part of the new policy, an intercom will be at all of the main entrances to the schools. Visitors will have to show state or government issued ID and state their businesses at the school before the door will be unlocked.

Anyone failing to show proper ID will not be granted access, including parents.

This is just one way that schools are heightening security to protect students.

In 2018 alone, there has been one school shooting a week on average, and nearly 300 since 2009.

As the staggering numbers continue to rise, schools nationwide are making changes to try and prevent or discourage these acts. Some schools are making students use clear or see-through backpacks, while others add metal detectors or additional security guards.

In Texas, some school districts are allowing teachers to bring guns into the classroom, as long as they have completed a training program beforehand. Similar training programs also exist in Ohio, where hundreds of teachers have already signed up to participate.

While the local districts in Idaho aren’t taking it quite that far, administrators are confident in the new system and many are already feeling safer.