by David Kent | staff writer

North East Independent School District has moved forward with increased security measures such as new clear-backpack policy and metal detector wands. With the school year coming to a close, new security measures are being considered.

“An added measure is that there will be a perimeter fencing put up so in areas like the courtyard and access to areas where students are walking will be fenced in next year,” Gary Comalander said.

This security measure will be in place for the next school year and will be similar in function to another security feature of the school, the front door buzz-in system.

“That will go up over the summer, and it will involve the same security as the front door,” Comalander said. “So anybody coming in after school starts will have to be buzzed in.”

The decision to utilize a perimeter fence was not one that was decided upon by school administration.

“It is a district decision that is decided by our school-board and everyone at central office to keep all 68,000 students in North East safe,” Comalander said. “And so limiting access from people who do not need to be on campus is one of the priorities. So it will go up at every high-school and every middle-school across the district.”

Current administration views the current security-measures as being well received by the student body.

“You learn to deal with some of the changes, maybe in time or convenience or what you’re used to. But that is no different whether you go anywhere. If you go to the Spurs game at the AT&AT Center, you’re gonna go through a security system to get in there,” Comalander said. “If you go to the airport, you’re gonna go through a security system to get in there. You know there’s always gonna be issues with everything that comes up, but you learn to deal with those and move past them.”