With several school-related incidents happening recently all over the country, it is best for schools to have a plan in place and tools to prevent these incidents.
The state of South Carolina requires that schools conduct at least two fire drills, two intruder drills and two severe weather drills each school year. However, Spartanburg High goes beyond this standard and conducts fire drills at the start of each month. Having these drills in place allows students to know where to go and what to do in event of these situations taking place.
Averi Jefferson (9) has faith in Spartan High if an incident were to occur.
“I feel safe at school because I trust the guidance and preparation of the teachers and administrators around me. If something happened to our school, I would I have faith in my teachers that they’d guide me and my classmates to safety,” Jefferson said.
Starting in the 2021-2022 school year, metal detectors were installed at the front entrance of the school, the student parking lot and the bus loop. Every school in the state is required to have metal detectors at all public entrances of schools and at athletic events.
With metal detectors in place, students must enter the school one by one, in order for the detector to work properly. Students must pull out their MacBooks and may need to remove some jewelry or 3-ring binders from their book bags. Although the system ensures student and faculty safety, the process creates long lines and wait times.
Jay Blanton (12) finds the metal detectors at the student parking lot entrance to be somewhat disorganized.
“Metal detectors are a good idea, but the way they are executed can be cumbersome,” Blanton said.
During athletic events on campus, every student and attendee is required to walk through the metal detectors upon entering. Attendees must also bring clear bags to hold their items. These measures allow everyone to enjoy the event safely.
While school is not in session, there is 24-hour security on campus. Allegiance Industries security guards take shifts to ensure there are no trespassers or vandalism happening on the grounds after hours.
School Resource Officers (SROs) are assigned to all District 7 schools from the Spartanburg County Police Department’s SRO division. This division is one of the largest in the state, with 54 deputies employed. SROs watch out for criminal behavior in schools and educate students on safety in school as well as in the community. A bill for the state requires that there be one officer at a school for a full day per every 500 students.
Officer Robert Shaffer is one of the two SROs at Spartanburg High.
“My goal is to provide a safe and caring environment for students and faculty so that they can focus on learning and teaching,” Shaffer said.
