In light of the recent events in Newtown, Connecticut, the Rockwood district has taken steps to ensure the safety of its students.

Assistant Principal Carl Hudson said the Superintendent mandated that all MHS doors be locked starting at 8:16 a.m. (except those in front of the Welcome Center). During its opening years, MHS was considered an accessible campus and no doors were locked. In recent years, administrators recognized this as a safety issue and declared MHS a semi-accessible campus.

The district is working to install a buzzer system in front of the Welcome Center so all doors can remained locked throughout the day. Hudson said he doesn’t expect this to happen until next year.

“We want to make MHS accessible but safe,” Hudson said.

In addition to locking doors and installing a buzzer system, Hudson said the Board is considering implementing a few other safety procedures. Among the options are more hall monitors and parking attendants, as well as a toll booth at the entrance (without the fees).

Although the Board is considering all of these extra steps to determine the best option for improving students’ safety, Hudson said our best defense is already present in MHS – the students.

“We have 2,400 security guards,” Hudson said.

He said students should remain vigilant and inform administrators of suspicious activity and/or conversations.

Officer Earle said all the security changes will be noticeable by the students. During this week’s Intruder Drill, Earle asked six extra St. Louis County police officers to attend. Earle said this extra presence will allow officers to have knowledge of the building in case of an actual incident as well as making students familiar with the protocol.

“Students now know that in an actual drill, they are not allowed to leave lock down unless a uniformed officer unlocks their door,” Earle said.

Previously, an administrator would make an announcement to end the drill. The drill now ends once an officer checks the room.