Coronado High School is constantly developing new strategies and procedures to ensure the safety of students while they are attending their classes. This involves school security guards and staff continuously monitoring the campus. Who are the overseers of safety management, as well as student well-being and mental health? People have varying opinions about whether school is truly a safe place to be, but according to Mr. Lobato, vice-principal, “Safety is our chief concern.”
Key factors about school security that they are most commonly known for are the school security faculty members who are trained to respond to problems. But they are also responsible for other key and crucial aspects of security that often go overlooked by the outside eye, such as controlling and monitoring visitor processes, ensuring they follow proper entry procedures, and are authorized to be on school property. School security also intervenes in fights and other situations that may have a negative or disruptive effect on the school. School security and local police also work hand in hand; they collaborate in emergencies and also create emergency plans together, which are crucial to handle, lead quick and accurate law enforcement tactics, which improve their capabilities to protect the school.
A survey was conducted for this article, asking 24 students whether or not they felt safe while attending Coronado High School. 29% of the students claimed that they didn’t, in fact, feel safe. 25% of the students claimed that they did feel safe while at school. 8% of the students claimed the opposite, saying that they did not feel safe, and 37% of the students responded with “I don’t know” or were in between feeling safe and not safe. When students were asked what the biggest factor in their sense of safety and comfort was, most said it was because of our principal, Mrs. Arnell. Her job includes the safety and well-being of students enrolled at Coronado, and she’s great at her job. Another student, Kajmere McFarland, Class of 2027, explained, “I don’t know, some days I feel safe, and other days, it’s like an impending sense of doom haunts me.” Proving the fact that students’ opinions on school safety have major differences.
When asked what improvements should be made to increase student safety, several staff members offered thoughtful perspectives. When John Urban was asked about school security, he said, “School safety should be more of a relevant topic in today’s society. We should discuss our reaction to the school violence epidemic. Are armed security guards going to solve our violence?” This emphasizes the profound complexities when discussing school safety. Cory Honor spoke from a place of personal experience. “I noticed Coronado was a safe place to be when I came to work on my first day, and saw no metal detectors, and school security was less extreme. This shows that the students and staff have built a level of trust that I have not experienced at previous schools.”
Advocates that students to tell a counselor or another trusted adult if they want to report something or simply talk to get things off their chest, whether it’s threats of violence, bullying, or harassment. Legal activity, abuse, or neglect are mental health concerns for yourself or other people. The school heavily encourages students to report it. It’s better to report a false alarm than to let a real emergency go unchecked. If students feel unsafe or uncomfortable reporting something in person, they could also do it online at Safe2Tell, an anonymous reporting system for students, parents, school staff, and community members in Colorado to make safety reports. Reports can be made 24/7 using your phone, website, or mobile app.
Raul Garcia (Kirby), a school security faculty member, admitted to having taken range training to be better equipped as a security guard. Kirby explains that other security staff have different types of training, along with experience. “Some other security guards were formerly in the military; however, to get a job like this, there are no specific requirements.”
Students show mixed feelings about the topic. Some people find the current safety measures extraordinary and believe the school has done a great job prioritizing the safety of students, while others disagree and believe that school safety can be improved. We find by various different ways, determining whether or not school is a safe place to be is a challenging task and does not have a single definite answer, but one important factor to answer the question is simply whether or not the students themselves feel safe.
