Sitting at her desk in the attendance office, secretary Julie Rutledge watched as the news unfolded about the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut where 27 people were killed after a gunman opened fire in an elementary school Dec. 14, 2012. This caused Mrs. Rutledge to question what would happen if a situation similar to this one occurred at her school.

“It could happen to any school,” said Mrs. Rutledge. “I’m sure those people didn’t think that would happen to them.”

Working in the front office, Mrs. Rutledge would be one of the first people to encounter a gunman if he/she entered through the front doors.

“It just shows that we need to follow the safety precautions already set in place,” said Mrs. Rutledge. “The staff members aren’t the only people responsible for following safety measures. The students also need to be held responsible.”

All doors at Har-Ber, except for the front doors, are to remain locked and closed during school hours. Students have been known to prop open side doors to allow themselves and their friends to enter the building without having to walk around to the front of the building.

“I don’t think a lot of students realize how dangerous that really is. They’re making it a lot easier for unofficial visitors, or potentially dangerous intruders, to enter the building,” said senior Payton Hanby. “Especially after the tragedy that happened in Newtown, I think our teachers have been putting forth even more effort to keep this issue under control. We, as students, now need to help ourselves and submit to the rules, whether or not it helps our friends avoid getting in trouble.”

Local elementary schools also took into consideration what would happen if a situation similar to the Newtown shooting occurred.

“When I saw the news, I really felt like the people there in Connecticut did exactly what they needed to do. They knew exactly what the procedures were and they protected the children. That’s what we’re here for, to protect the kids,” said Elmdale Elementary School principal Michele Hutton. “If it happened here, we would perform the same procedures. The teachers would lock down their classrooms, hide and quiet the students, and the door would not be opened until the principal opened it.”

At the start of the school year, Elmdale was chosen to be a test school of a new security system the district installed. This security system allows the school secretaries to see on a screen from the office each person entering the school. The person is not allowed to enter the building until one of the secretaries unlocks the door with a remote.

“We don’t have to open that door if we were worried about that person coming in,” said secretary at Elmdale Kathy Leding. “It makes me feel safer because we don’t have to let everyone inside the school now.”

This new security system has been installed at two elementary schools within the district and will soon be installed in all of the schools as a result of the recent Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.