This year, Glen Rock High School and Middle School have decided to tighten security in the building. Throughout its history, the schools have been notorious for having low security measures (since most students and parents consider the town to be extremely safe), so this change has come as a shock to the people of Glen Rock.
The high school and middle school posted updated rules on their website over the summer: “Over the next few months, a series of new security measures will be introduced at Glen Rock High School and Middle School with the goal of providing improved security for students and staff. Phase 1 will be put into place for gaining access to the building on school days.” The announcement continued to note that all doors to the school will be locked except for the Hamilton Lobby, and it delineated how all students must immediately exit the building after school unless there is an activity. Another step that will be introduced in the future is a system in which the students will have to swipe their student ID cards to gain access to the building.
After a man broke into Fair Lawn elementary school last year, schools in Bergen County have become concerned with their security systems. Glen Rock is one of the many that has revised its rules for the current year. This tightening in security has inconvenienced the students this year with all doors, except those near the Hamilton Lobby entrance, being locked; it is therefore more difficult to enter the building.
For instance, when seniors come back to the school after going out to lunch, they are only allowed to enter through the Hamilton Lobby. It is more convenient for some to enter through the middle school when they park near that entrance. Some seniors have been late to their classes after lunch, as they have to trek over to the Hamilton Lobby. The students are also not able to enter the building after 6:30 pm, which is bothersome to those who want to pick up homework that they left in their lockers. While the reasoning behind this is obviously to keep the students safe, it does inconvenience those students who wish to enter the building.
Glen Rock High School and Middle School should update their security – as long as it does not inconvenience the students. It could be much more beneficial if students could get into any door once the student ID swipe system is installed, as long as they have their student IDs. These precautions are a step in the right direction for school safety, but students should not be deprived of their freedom to leave and enter the school grounds at will.