“Home is where children find safety and security, where we find our identities, where citizenship starts. It usually starts with believing you’re part of a community, and that is essential to having a stable home.” Matthew Desmond

Among the changes that Keystone introduced this school year, including a new electronics device policy and curricular improvements, were changes to our security protocols. We introduced a guard at the Little School, continued to keep the gates closed except for dropoff and pickup, and opted to not distribute the gate codes to parents. While this may cause some inconvenience, we decided that not having the codes as widespread as they were in the past was worth the cost.

For the first time in school history, we opted to have an armed guard with a concealed weapon on the Main Campus from 8:00 AM-6:00 PM. Although some people applauded this move, and others were disappointed that we went in this direction, the Board of Trustees and administration decided to move forward.

After a semester with these changes, we wanted to hear what parents and students thought. I asked three members of the Parents/Teachers Organization for their thoughts and what they heard from other Keystone parents.

Courtney Roberts, Little School Representative, shared her thoughts:” I think the parents at the Little School have been appreciative of the enhanced security. I have heard no mention of the added wait time or not having a code. As I have spoken to parents about Kindergarten and next year, all of them have expressed the armed guard as a positive in their viewing. Bottom line, I think it is received as a positive, and without the additional security it might actually be somewhat of a negative.’

Cassandra Wagner, VP Communication for Keystone’s PTO, added, “Honestly, Michael and I have appreciated the changes we have seen at the main campus; we think having an armed guard (concealed weapon is important!) gives us peace of mind. Additionally, the personnel in marked uniforms convey a strong message that the school is protected from the outset, along with the fencing around the property. The security team is still warm and friendly, and we love to see the leaders’ smiling faces in the mornings. We appreciate the open communication from your staff! I can’t speak to the security changes at The Little School since all three of our kids are now at the main campus, but our family feels in very good hands at Keystone.”

When asked, PTO President Trianna Johnson said, “As you know, there was quite a bit of parental chatter both for and against the armed security guard when the plan was first announced; however, since implementation, the only thing I have heard from parents who were initially not on board is relief. I think parents were worried how the guards would present themselves, but after meeting Cliff and Brandon and seeing how they have their weapons concealed, I think most parents who were against it now see them as a comfort. I have not heard anything negative regarding the armed guard, but will let you know if I do. I am thankful Keystone added the armed guards.”

Truth be told, we made these decisions with a combination of determination and sadness. The safety of our community is our number one priority. We have been blessed for years with closed campuses; in addition, the main campus has no vehicular access for guests. According to the security audits with outside experts and SAPD we conducted over the years, our school is extremely safe and in some ways in better shape than other institutions who have implemented more conspicuous measures.

We have instituted a variety of procedures to respond to different threats, and we conduct drills on a monthly basis. We installed security cameras and new locks, and thanks to Tim Carpenter, Director of Maintenance, continually made improvements in a number of areas. We added a program called Anonymous Alerts where students can share their concerns with administrators so we can respond according to the specific situation; we also started a new partnership with detectives with SAPD who monitor threats in our immediate neighborhood and the city.

We also take cyber security seriously and thanks to Todd Moore, Director of Technology Services and Cyber Security, we continually upgrade our protocols to protect our technology infrastructure. This has become of even more importance over the past few years as many schools have suffered interruptions and malware attacks.

Nevertheless, in a reflection of the times in which we live and after much discussion, we opted to tighten the physical security on both of our campuses. We stressed to our security company that we did not want guards who remained aloof and stand-offish. On the contrary, we wished for guards who would engage with children and adolescents so they would feel comfortable sharing concerns with security.

Having served as a head of school since before Columbine, I recall our realization in the blink of an eye when that event occurred, that everything had changed irrevocably. Our schools would never feel or be the same. However one feels politically, it’s a depressing statement that our schools have to be so heavily protected.

Over the decades, consultants and law enforcement officials have sounded the same theme-the number one form of security is having a community where people feel comfortable sharing their fears and concerns with adults. No physical measure can substitute for having this type of environment.

Based on impromptu conversations with upper school students recently, it seems that they feel safe to share thoughts with us.

For example, junior Izzy recounted a time when she was walking back to campus and had an unsettled feeling from a man walking near her. When she arrived at the Keystone front gate, our security guard let her in and prevented the other person from approaching campus.

She and fellow junior Vivian said they appreciated that security guards are in uniform because it “makes them look more professional.” More than anything else, they appreciated how seamless the increased security felt. In other ways, the increased security felt discreet. As Vivian put it, “We changed our security?”

The girls were also heartened that security is armed, but the weapon is inconspicuous. They said that this was reassuring, but the gun was not in anyone’s face and would not necessarily escalate a conflict.

Striking a balance between having security while not creating anxiety by making school feel scary can be a challenge. As one of the students said in our conversation, “we’ve always had security at Keystone.” As we do in all areas, we will continue to study our security so we can improve our procedures and protocols while ensuring that children look forward to coming to school and enjoy learning and growing up.