Schools setting goals to make campuses more secure

Published:
WINK News

Today parents are asking: what else can we do to protect our kids?

After Wednesday’s school shooting, many are worried schools aren’t designed to protect the children who attend them.

But school officials say newer schools like Bonita Springs High School—which is under construction—could introduce technology to strengthen schools from the inside out.

Romina Scuito’s daughter goes to Fort Myers High School.

“The doors are open and anybody can go there,” she says.

Superintendent Greg Adkins says the Lee County School District has discussed a number of options to keep students safe inside their walls, including metal detectors and building fences.

Adkins says surveillance cameras with adaptive technology could change the game.

“Instead of simply filming an incident, this is something that proactively could notify an administrator or security staff of a potential threat so you can react much quicker than we currently do today,” he said.

But Barry Cavin is worried it might be too much.

“You’ve gotta have freedom for the students to move around and you can’t lock it down like it’s a prison,” he said.

But Adkins says that right now, nothing trumps safety.

“I think this is technology that we have to put into our budget, now,” he said.

Charlotte County school officials say they rebuilt a number of schools after Hurricane Charley to be more secure, creating fewer ways in or out.

Lee County did not say if they planned to do the same with future schools.

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