New Gates On Campus

Aalynah Coleman, Staff Reporter

In recent years, the frequency of violent attacks has sparked fear across the nation, and the issue of school safety has become a predominant topic.

Many parents are constantly worried about  their child’s safety and are looking to the school for changes with reference to the increase in school shootings. One of Rancho Cucamonga High School’s answers to these parents’ questions regarding their children’s safety are the installation of eight-feet tall gates surrounding the school’s perimeter. 

Even though this new addition may be considered an inconvenience for some, the school gates are being installed with the intention to keep students and staff safe. This new system of security will help keep track of who is going in and out our campus by redirecting school visitors to the office and ensuring that not just anyone can walk onto campus.

Mr. Placide, the Assistant Principal of Discipline stated: “It is a district required initiative to have our campus perimeter sealed off so that people who do not belong here do not go onto our campus.” Putting up the gates sends out the message to the public to enter our school in the correct way. Even though the gates may seem as a spur of the moment decision, the district has been planning to install them for a long time. 

By the end of the first semester, all the gates will be up and locked during school hours. The district’s intentions for the gates is to ensure parents of their children’s safety while they are in school.

Mr. Placide continued, “The main challenge will be a cultural shift, because students are used to entering the campus in different ways.” This new security measure will take students some time to get used to, but it will ultimately allow students and their parents to become more secure of their safety. 

There are many students on campus who are concerned and unaware of the reasoning behind these changes, thinking it is unnecessary. Jonah Mixon, Rancho Cucamonga High School junior, added his thoughts, “[The field gate] is taking up space for people to stand when they are getting picked up after school, making it crowded, and everyone I have talked to seems to be annoyed with it.”

Although some students are displeased with the new security method, it is important to understand the school’s perspective during this time, as the number one priority is to ensure that everyone is entering a safe environment in which we can all stay focused on education.