On Oct. 2, the high school had its first lockdown drill of the year. This drill started when Kevin Kavan, the district security specialist, announced “Locks. Lights. Out of sight” over the intercom. Teachers locked the doors, turned off the lights, and ushered students into a safe part of their classroom, keeping them out of sight. With the addition of the CTE wing and remodeled classrooms in various departments around the school, students, staff and members of the community may wonder how security procedures and protocols have been improved and updated to ensure safety.

Ever since elementary school, students are taught how to react when a threat enters the building. By the time they are in high school, they should already know the procedures. Since the CTE wing has glass-walled learning spaces, teachers and students have to approach lockdown drills differently. In addition to the glass windows, there is a new official entrance where students can enter on the northeast side of the building.

“We have really good security at the front doors unless a door gets propped open,” skilled and technical science teacher Jason Novotony said. “I feel that the front door security is fine. If the protocols are followed, it’s very safe in the building.”

Many of the classrooms throughout the building were also remodeled. In one section of the school, however, several classrooms have blue and green plexi glass paneled walls that are parallel to the hall. Staff and students wonder why they were not renovated or replaced with solid walls. The concern is that the plastic panels are unsafe in any sort of emergency situation.

“They are incredibly unsafe,” family consumer science teacher Kelsey Leffer said. “We can move them just by pressing on them. They redid the other walls in the classroom, I’m really not sure why they kept that [paneled walls].”

These plexiglass panels are not just a problem on the first floor, but also the second floor where the math and business departments are located.

“I think the only thing you could do is just put up another solid wall, just for the protection aspect,” business teacher Chase Lipsys said. “I think they would just have to be a solid wall.”

In addition to the plexiglass walls, another safety concern are the door locks according to teachers and security specialist Kavan. 

“Commission Reports from tragic situations have advised us that all classroom doors should be able to be locked from the inside of the room,” Kavan said.“One of the major findings from the ‘Sandy Hook Commission Report’ and the ‘Marjory Stoneman Douglas Commission Report’ was that classroom doors need to be quickly locked from the interior of the room.”

After consulting with Jeff Glosser, the district’s General Operations Administrator, Kavan decided to purchase 279 push lock door handles, making sure there are enough push locks for all the schools within the Fremont public schools district. 

“Last spring, the Nebraska Legislature released grant funding for Nebraska schools to help aid in security features,” Kavan said. “We applied for the grant and received enough money to pay for the locks and installation. Along with the locks, we asked for other security items as well, but received funding only for the classroom locks.”

Once the new push button locks are installed, Kavan feels that teachers won’t have to worry about leaving their classroom to lock the door. and being out where the threat is to lock the door. This way teachers avoid potential threats in the hallway. 

Kavan plans on having the locks installed by the end of the semester. Until then Kavan hopes students and teachers practice the lockdown drill.

“I am looking forward to the day that when we say, ‘Locks, Lights, Out of Sight” it is really that quick and easy for everyone!’” Kavan said.