Local parent concerned with safety of school structure

With school safety being a hot-button topic, one parent is concerned with the structure of a local high school.

Amanda Klingler had some safety concerns with the amount of glass in Rigby High School’s structure in case of an emergency. The school district says they do have safety plans and security to keep students safe.

“If you have teenagers, you worry about them all the time. There’s a constant worry, it just adds to it. You go in, and you can see everything,” says Klingler.

Amanda Klingler has a child who will be going to Rigby High School in the fall.

“My concern is that they don’t build more schools in a way that doesn’t protect the kids from potential crisis,” says Klingler.

The school district says they have precautionary plans set in case of an emergency.

“It’s the same protocol in every school. We’ve got away from a code red or code orange where there’s confusion. It’s very straightforward. We’ve trained staff, students, and parents. We’ve been involved in local law enforcement, they’ve been trained too,” says Chad Martin, Director of Secondary Education.

And they say they pay close attention to their students.

“The most important thing we do is build relationships with students. And so, all of our staff is always looking out for students that need help in whatever it is. If we are aware of any situation, whether it’s emotional or physical, whatever it is, we address that,” says Martin.

Rigby High School also has a school resource officer and cameras. They’re not the only school structured like this in the area. More schools are being built with windows to allow more natural light.

The Jefferson County School District says they also practice lockdown procedures regularly.