Administration begins to make major changes to make school safer

In response to the  school shooting in Parkland, Florida, Bowie High School has begun to make changes to insure the safety of students and faculty.

The day after tragedy struck in Parkland, modifications to the way safety is operated on campus were immediately put into discussion and implemented into day to day Bowie life. The Austin Independent School District (AISD) Police Department and Emergency Management Team met with the administration to address potential changes to the campus security system.

“We all have school in our experience, and the thing that is so upsetting is that’s it’s our nation’s kids, who are innocent, and for this to play out in our schools is just wrong on so many levels,” principal Mark Robinson said. “And so that’s the thing that just upsets me the most about it, because it terrorizes our most innocent citizens and it hits us at a place that we all connect to.”

The staff has been asked to wear their AISD ID at all times when on campus, and all doors aside from one at the front entrance and the gate that leads to the portables have been locked. Propping of side doors all around the campus is prohibited, and the front entrance is monitored during high traffic times.

“I think the most obvious one [change] is trying to get to a single point of entry for the campus, and so we closed the gate there, and people can still get out, but people shouldn’t be able to get in,” Robinson said.

Many students were struck by the inconvenience the locked side doors caused, as they were very popular with students running late or who had a far away class.

“At first it seemed a little inconvenient given now that we can only enter through one door and things like that, but I do think when looking at it that it is making the school more safe,” senior Emily Robinett said. “I think that it’s important to remember that it’s being done in our best interests and even though it might be frustrating, like I’ve grumbled about it for sure, it’s important to just comply because you never know, and while we shouldn’t be paranoid it is important to be responsive.”

All visitors are required to check in at the front office and have valid ID on them at all times. Lock down magnets have also been added to all doors to make it easier for teachers to secure their classroom doors during an emergency situation.

“When students are concerned about their safety, they should keep in mind that it’s not like the teachers aren’t also concerned about their safety,” teacher Aaron Bryant said. “I don’t know any teachers that haven’t thought about the prospects of something happening.”

Adding fencing around the campus is also a potential future change. The goal is to lock down the perimeter of the school. Not all students, however, think that the new security measures will help in an emergency situation.

“They have good intentions, but I kind of do think that the administration is patting themselves on the back for it because we all know that it really won’t do much,” junior Jack Rainey said. “In a lot of cases in school shooting, the shooter is a student at the school currently, so that really wont do anything in that case. I think administration is kind of passing it off like ‘we’re safe now’ when we’re really not.”

In addition the security measures, mental health services are available for students who feel like they may need help. Resources include teachers, administrators, and counselors, as well as a licensed mental health professional Bowie shares with some middle and elementary schools.

“I think every educators a counselor at some point,” Robinson said. “It’s because of the relationship that teachers have with students and the training that we have in our child development classes and in our education classes that give us some tools.”

A professional organization, the Vida Clinic, has also partnered with the district to assist students, as well as a few district crisis interns. While administrators are urging all members of the Bowie community to stay vigilant and watchful at all times, life at Bowie High School must still go on.

“It’s unacceptable to change who you are or what you do out of fear. I think when we start doing that then it changes our lives for the worse,”  Bryant said. “If we’re doing things and making decisions based solely on fear then we’re not operating, then there’s really nothing that separates us from animals.”