Security added at Rome Middle School
♦ The changes are similar to those instituted at the high school.
Students at Rome Middle School will see an increase in security measures on Thursday akin to the ones that went in place this week at the high school.
The new process is meant to be proactive, Interim Superintendent Dawn Williams said. There have been no incidents at the middle school, she said on Tuesday.
The new measures follow the arrest of two students who are accused of having loaded pistols on the high school campus last week. Classes were canceled on Friday and the school board approved the measures during a called meeting.
Prior to students returning to class, parents received an updated list of expanded security steps. On Tuesday RMS parents received a notification that similar changes will take place at the middle school, which is on the same campus.
Among the changes are a search of jackets or outer layers of clothing, as well as book bags, before entering the school.
There will be two entrances into the school during drop-off time. Late students will only be allowed to come in through the front door and doors to the school will not be open until 7:45 a.m. each morning.
Additional Rome Police Department officers will be on-site during drop-off time and during searches, and for a specified period of time each morning. Administrators will be present at each search location and, in some cases, K-9 officer teams will also be at the school.
The school system will also be printing and issuing new ID badges for students, who will be required to wear them at all times.
In the future, the school system is considering purchasing weapons detection systems for each of the schools.