Among the new scanning policy and the removal of cellphones in classrooms, another new aspect of life at DGS has arisen: the addition of alarms on doors. The implementation follows an increase in absenteeism that began in 2023, as well as a push to enhance building security.
Dr. Karen Taylor is the Associate Principal at DGS and was a part of the development of the alarms.
“The decision to install them was our entire administrative team; so that’s the principal, all of the associate principals, and our director of buildings and grounds, Mr. Reyes, and then also our lead campus security and the deans,” Taylor said.
The alarms are designed to alert security of anybody both leaving and entering the building, specifically any intruders or students attempting to skip school.
Paul Lichamer, head of security at DGS, explains his personal experiences regarding door security.
“We’ve had instances where kids would let their friends or maybe even a stranger in because somebody’s knocking on the door to try and come into our school, which is a giant security risk…Part of the reason the doors were alarmed is to remind students, don’t let people in the building, because they could have… ill intentions coming in,” Lichamer said.
As the first few months of school have passed, their challenges and successes have become clear. While the building’s security has improved, students still carry mixed feelings about the alarms themselves.
Junior Noel Rogers believes in the importance of the alarms.
“There are a lot of people who used to leave out a lot of secret doorways mid-school day. And I think now that we have alarms on them, they can’t really do that anymore, and I think it’s very beneficial,” Rogers said.
However, other students like junior O’Reily Dixon believe that the alarms are a great inconvenience.
“Last year, I would always go in through the [fine arts] doors, but now I have to go all the way around to the main entrance, and I don’t like that, because the band room was so close,” Dixon said.
As well as some inconvenience, another initial challenge surrounding the alarmed doors was the issue of unnecessary triggers.
“There have been times that the alarms have gone off and it’s been disruptive to classes, and it wasn’t a student that set it off. But after the first two weeks or so, that seems to have quieted down, and now when it goes off, it’s legitimately a student who is trying to leave without permission,” Taylor said.
Aside from the challenges, the alarms have been an overall success for DGS. Students are now unable to leave the building during the school day, thus dropping the absenteeism rate.
“Our attendance data is well outpacing our average daily attendance for last school year,” Taylor said.
The implementation of door alarms marks a significant step in the ongoing effort to enhance security at DGS. Yet, these efforts won’t end with the alarms.
“Another thing we’re really looking at this year is our threat assessment team and refining our procedures and practices there, so we will continue to evolve with whatever research tells us as best practices to keep our students and staff safe,” Taylor said.
