The safety of their children was on everyone's minds last week as the country dealt with the horrible and senseless tragedies in Connecticut.
At the Dolores School District, elementary principal Sharon Maxwell sent a letter home to parents addressing changes in security and safety measures at her school.
After the tragedy occurred, staff met and reviewed safety procedures at the school and looked for things to improve. Here is what was done to improve safety, according to Maxwell's letter:
All classroom doors will be kept in a ready and locked position using the door-blocks.
Elementary employees will begin wearing identification badges when school begins on Jan. 7.
The door at the end of the hallway by the music room will be locked at all times.
A computer monitor in the office will display a live feed from the camera posted at the front of the elementary school.
Extra playground duties to make sure that all playground doors are secure after recess.
A playground gate closing duty has also been assigned.
All students will go the playground by way of the recess doors across from the bathrooms. This will limit the time students spend outside the fence and help us keep the gate closed during school hours.
The visitor procedure has also been changed and the school and will require visitor names and dates to be recorded after 8:30.
"Please know that we are stepping up adult supervision because we know the more eyes we have on our students, the less likely things will go unnoticed. We care deeply about our students and their safety," Maxwell wrote.
The Dolores School Board of Education also approved $125,000 to purchase new locks for the classrooms, the current ones are old and don't always work, and new doors for the front of the schools.
Most of the work was expected to take place over Christmas break.