PLANO, Texas -- In the wake of Santa Fe shootings came a question about design in deterring school shooters.
"Maybe we need to look at limiting the entrance and exits into our schools," said Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick hours after the massacre that killed ten at Santa Fe High School.
He questioned doors, required by fire code. But what about hallways, classrooms and closets? We asked Don Hensley, VP of the Education Sector with Stantec.
"I, Even when Columbine happened I never dreamed that would happen again," he said, in the firm's Plano office. "You’re trying to balance not creating a prison with creating a school, a place where they have fun and they play."
He says in this age of attacks, districts often request reinforced front entryways with bulletproof glass. That element was brought up at Tuesday’s roundtable at the State Capitol, called by Governor Greg Abbot after the Santa Fe shooting. Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa was there, and said he wants safer entrances at all his schools.
"That’s already in our new campus design, but we have so many old buildings," said the Superintendent. "How do we go back and retrofit those buildings? That’s what we talked about today."
Beyond a school's exterior, Hensley says districts are also now able to consider accessories that can help in a crisis.
"There’s certainly manufactures that make blankets that are ballistic and protective in nature, so these would be in a closet and be brought out in lockdown situations or tables that have ballistic protection where they could be tilted up as protection," said Hensley.
But what ultimately, will keep students safest? Hensley believes it’s a blend of design, security procedures and policy. Something as multi-layered as school shootings themselves.