By Ashlyn Miller and Jess Molander
Round Table reporters

About 1,200 students enter and exit Middletown High School each day. Considering those with portable classes, after-school activities, and late arrivals, the average student goes through the school doors at least three to four times a day.

So how does the school keep out those who aren’t supposed to be here with only a limited number of staff to monitor the halls? This is the question MHS is addressing with its new security measures.

“The reality is, there are kids in the building that I don’t recognize,” said Michael Watson, assistant principal at MHS.

Among the changes are video monitors that are installed in the front office, and a buzzer system that controls entry into the school. This new equipment will allow office staff to visually observe and talk to those who are entering the building.

“The cafeteria doors will eventually be on a timer for between classes and staff will monitor the doors,” Watson said.

Many may think that these measures are a knee-jerk reaction to the Cleveland, Ohio, area school shootings, but this is not the case.  Watson said that plans were in place two weeks before the shooting, “but this did influence us to say, ‘Gotta make this happen.’” 

“In Middletown, we are fortunate to be safe, but we’re still not 100 percent safe,” Watson said. “These school shootings make us brainstorm and make us think how we would prepare if it was us.”

Students have taken notice and thought about these changes, as well.

“I believe [security] should be increased because our school could always use improvement. It’s important to have student safety,” said MHS freshman Katie Gibson.

MHS senior Ryan Weston said, “I guess we should [increase security], so no one can mess around in the school, but it should be something that’s foolproof.”

Teachers also have taken this as an opportunity to think about security procedures in their classrooms.

In regard to his portable classroom, Jeff Colsh, MHS psychology teacher, said, “There are locks and keys out here, but pretty much nothing else. Portable teachers have to follow different security measures in an emergency.”

MHS Spanish teacher Judi Bitner said she feels that the security measures will be helpful to her indoor classroom. “Anything that keeps our students safe is good to me. I know from being at Frederick High School that they have had a similar buzzer system for years,” she said. “It’s long overdue.”