18 security officials to patrol school

Stoneman Douglas High will be safe, officials say

Despite numerous stumbles in the months since the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, officials say the campus will be secure and offer a robust learning atmosphere when school starts next week.

Families will see an enormous security presence. There will be 18 personnel on the Parkland campus each day: Three school police officers provided by the city and the Broward Sheriff ’s Office, and 15 campus monitors and security specialists.

These officials will monitor traffic to ensure only students with ID are entering the campus. Teachers also will have new IDs that they will have to swipe to enter the campus’s main access points.

Similar security measures are being implemented at schools throughout the district. On the first day of school, Aug. 15, students and parents will notice school access points have changed at 135 of Broward’s 230 schools, with only one way to get in, usually the main office.

Although several entrances will be open at schools for arrival and dismissal, signs and fences will steer visitors during the day toward a “Welcome Center,” where they will be screened by office personnel before they can enter the campus.

They also will have to wear a badge as they move through the buildings.

Visitors will see an abundance of these

MIKE STOCKER/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, site of the Feb. 14 massacre of 17 people, will be opening next week with new portable classrooms and safety measures.